Charlotte Hornets: 5 reasons why Malik Monk was a great pick

Here’s why the Charlotte Hornets’ selection of Malik Monk out of Kentucky in the 2017 NBA Draft was an excellent one.

The Charlotte Hornets suffered a down year in 2016-17, which meant that they once again found themselves picking in the lottery — something that has not been kind to the franchise in the past.

For the past couple of drafts, the Hornets have completely failed, as they took Michael Kidd-Gilchrist over Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard in 2012, and also selected Frank Kaminsky over Myles Turner in 2015. This meant that plenty of Hornets fans went into the draft with doubts that Rich Cho would select the right player.

Luckily for the loyal Hornets fans, things played out a lot better than expected, as Malik Monk, who was arguably the best shooter in the class, fell right into their lap at the 11th selection. Monk gets underrated purely because he did not show a lot of combo guard tendencies in College, but too many people forget that coaches can unlock that side of the game when the player reaches the NBA.

My pro comparison for Monk is C.J. McCollum, as both are probably going to be below-average defenders, but can score 20 points very quickly and can develop the playmaking side of their game.

For the Hornets the pick was a home run pick, as they are a team that was desperate for a long-term playmaker to go next to Kemba Walker and the underrated Nicolas Batum. Monk is someone who can contribute from day one.

Here are five reasons why Monk was an excellent pick by the Charlotte Hornets, and why he can help get this franchise back on the right track.