The Sacramento Kings enjoyed a big win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night, but lost a key piece in the process. Guard Malik Monk suffered an ankle injury early in the second quarter and never returned to action, and it was announced that he would miss at least the team’s upcoming game against the San Antonio Spurs in order to heal.
But his absence could very well last beyond Monday evening’s contest, and the Kings could find themselves in a bit of trouble if that is the case.
Kings Bench Already Thin, Now Without Malik Monk
Sacramento’s bench is already thin. They entered the year with what was on paper one of the best starting lineups in the Western Conference, and that has mostly held true through the first three weeks of the 2024 season. But where they were lacking was in their depth, most notably in the front court. And through the first 10 games of the season, they rank 29th in the NBA in bench points per game (23.1). That is including Malik Monk and his 12.6 point per game average.
Sources: Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (ankle) will miss tonight’s game against the San Antonio Spurs as his injury continues to be evaluated today. pic.twitter.com/30QmXid4j4
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) November 11, 2024
What are the Kings left with? One of the small glimmers of hope is the rotation of Kevin Huerter and Keon Ellis. Huerter has gotten the bulk of the starting assignments so far this season at the shooting guard position, but averages about the same amount of minutes per game as Monk. He will likely see an uptick in those minutes, and will have to up his production if he hopes to make up for Monk’s minutes.
Guys like Jordan McLaughlin and Doug McDermott will likely get some added rotation time as well, and the Kings are still waiting on rookie Devin Carter to heal from his off-season surgery.
Upcoming Schedule Should Help Some
Sacramento has gotten out to a solid start with a 6-4 record. After losing the first two games on their schedule, they’ve gone 6-2 with 5 of those wins coming on the road. They have the 6th-highest scoring offense in the NBA at 117.5 points per game, and currently have a point differential of +4.5.
After their game against the Spurs on Monday, the Kings will return home and will play 6 out of their next 7 games inside Golden 1 Center.
