Malik Monk has stepped up his defense for the Kings this season.
The Sacramento guard explained the importance of his defensive improvements while speaking to reporters after Sunday's practice.
“That’s how you stay on the court,” Monk said on Sunday. “Doing small things like that, especially when you have [De’Aaron Fox], [Domantas Sabonis] and DeMar [DeRozan]. So, I just try to do the little things to get involved in that way because I know they will take up space on the offensive end. I’ve been locking in on the defense. People said I couldn’t guard so I’m showing people [I can].”
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The 26-year-old currently is playing some of the best basketball of his career, and his defense is one of the main reasons why he has been in the starting lineup for the past six games. Sacramento has gone 4-2 in those contests, so having Monk playing big minutes has made a difference.
The team has had an uneven start to the 2024-25 NBA season but appears to be finding its groove, winning three consecutive games heading into a pivotal matchup with the Denver Nuggets on Monday at Golden 1 Center.
Given the strength of the Western Conference, the Kings need to continue to play rock-solid defense and allow their explosive offense to close out games. Stringing together wins will be paramount at this point in the season as Sacramento sits just outside of the Western Conference playoff picture.
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With Monk’s tenacious defense, the Kings have a lot of momentum to build on as they head toward the heart of the greuling NBA season.