Malik Monk was the star Thursday on what was a busy day of group workouts in the morning followed by a private session with the Kentucky product in the afternoon.
After going through the typical drills and interviews, Monk spoke with the media, where his personality really came through.
Asked what he’s best at, Monk calmly said, “everything,” before grinning and letting out a laugh. Eventually, he said “shooting” was his top skill.
That, of course, is exactly what the Sixers would like to add to their youthful roster. Monk, who averaged 19.8 points per game, set the Kentucky freshman record for most points scored in a season (754).
“We know that he can shoot the ball,” said team executive Brandon Williams. “We wanted to challenge him in some other ways … he showed defense, which is really important to see. We also want to see how creative he is with the dribble … we wanted to see him challenged by shot blockers.”
Williams said the staff saw all of that at his individual workout.
Monk feels what he brings to the table is perfect for the Sixers.
“Ben [Simmons] is here, he’s a great passer,” Monk said. “I can play off the ball, on the ball. They need a shooter like this. I think I’d be a perfect fit.
“I think I did a pretty good job and felt comfortable with what they wanted me to do. I knocked down a couple of shots, able to read off-ball screens, dribble ball screens, stuff like that.”
This was Monk’s final workout. He previously visited Phoenix, Orlando and New York. His college teammate, De’Aaron Fox, is set to visit the Sixers on Saturday.
As for the knocks on Monk — his defense, his size — he’s not letting any of the negative criticism from the scouts affect him.
“People always gonna say what they want,” Monk said. “People said I couldn’t play off the ball when I went to Kentucky and I think I did a pretty good job at that.”
In regards to that aforementioned personality of his, Monk remains unsure where he’ll be drafted, knowing he could go anywhere in the top 10 but likely between 6-10.
“I think I could go one, two or three,” Monk said before pausing, “but I’m probably not.”
It’s clear he has a good sense of humor and a personality that would appear to fit right in with the likes of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
Perhaps Monk will be that missing shooter this organization has sought after all.
