Anthony Slater’s biggest takeaways from interview with Malik Monk
Now joined by Anthony Slater of the athletic Anthony thank you so much for joining us I missed you last time you hopped on I was down there in Scottdale for some golf and spring training thank you for hopping back on with us my guy I’m having a rough morning I have
Mississippi State in my uh I had a beat in North Carolina I’m going to the team what am I doing I don’t know I don’t know what you are doing I think we were all high CU I think high on Mississippi State because because they did first thing yeah I was
Like because they did they did well in the SEC tournament I I hear you man my teams haven’t really my bigger teams haven’t really gone off and I know Oklahoma both of us are in the same situation because Oklahoma State and Temple I don’t think either of us are
Doing very much we’re not even in it uh yeah Oklahoma State fired their coach so you know how are going how about this one Long Beach State’s about to play they fired their coach and then went on and won their conference tournament so he’s like a fired coach coaching n
Tournament yeah he’s I I was tempted to take them but I did not I got scared yeah I wouldn’t I wouldn’t not against Arizona no no we are talking with Anthony Slater of the athletic Anthony let’s start here your initial you you had a great piece in the athletic with
Malik monk who is really the hottest topic out here once the season ends Chris and I are going to have plenty and plenty of content to talk about Malik monk what was your main takeaway from your convers ation with him I like talking to him that was probably the main
One he’s uh you know I would say every team has two or three guys that are like really good personality guys and for us for particularly what I do you know trying to sit down players and stuff like that you know those are the interviews you try to search out so um
Yeah larger takeaway like oh okay I have a good sense of what he’s actually thinking because he really tells you what he’s actually thinking yeah and what what did you think like were you surprised I guess by his this in in saying pretty much flat out like I I
Would like to start I don’t really enjoy coming off the bench were you surprised by that um maybe a little bit but uh you know the our it was a point it was probably like Midway through like a 15 20 minute conversation right we were talking about the various points of his
Career which included you know Charlotte where he as he mentions felt he never really got proper opportunity there and like he only started one game in like four seasons there even though he was a lottery pick um he felt a little bit mishandled misused and I think part of
That you know at times in his career he’s believed that that you know his uh Talent should should lead him to bigger roles and um it got to the point where it was like you know we’re talking about the uh how good it would be how how nice
It would be for him to win Sixth Man of the Year award but we’re also talking about like you know in some ways you know it’s it it tells you it kind of like keeps you in this ladder of the league that you know at 26 years old
Ascending the way he seems to be ascending you know it might you might not necessarily want that Award right and I was like so do you like coming off the bench and he just kind of laughed like and you saw he said hell no no um
But it wasn’t in a way of like you know I’m demanding this this must change it was like look we’re winning it’s going well the other point he made to me was like still getting 30 something minutes on some nights you know like it’s starters minutes most of the time it’s
Just kind of scripted in a way that that he’s not a starter but you know again I get it especially with what he’s doing on the court talking to Anthony Slater of the athletic and breaking down his great great article on Malik monk Anthony he talked about the the success
That he was hoping to get in the postseason and that would also play a part in his decision at the end of the season when he becomes a free agent what do you think that line of we spent some time yesterday trying to figure out what
That line of success would be and it’s probably a combination of things if they lose in the first round but he’s now a starter something like that but I guess what is worst case scenario or what is what Malik might feel is a quote unquote good playoff run well I mean I think
Worst case scenario for the Kings they don’t make it out of the play yeah which is you know that’s on the table for you know you could go look at the four teams currently in the play in and add you know whatever Phoenix D really five
Teams if you include the six seed uh two of those teams will not make the playoffs two of those teams will be extremely disappointed heading into the off season and if that’s the case like you will I mean I know what you guys are gonna be talking on in the airwaves the
Day after if they lost in the plane like you know what do they need to do this summer have they plateaued where is this going what type of changes need to be made just because that’s that’s just the natural Sports thing to do um so if that
Happens um you know I think there’s gonna be a lot of disappointed people in that locker room and I’m sure Malik Monk’s gonna be one of one of them um other than that I think it’s like just the tangible like let’s say they do make
The first round and if they get to the second round like typically it’s how the series that you get eliminated ends right you know did you did you take Denver to a tough sixth game and lose at the buzzer where you’re like man this team next year you know Keegan Murray
Looked great Malik monk you know really looks you know does he have a good series A lot of times you know people look at you know how do I personally play that’s the the sour taste in their mouth heading into the off season is dependent on you know how they look
Think about Harrison Barnes last year I thought Harrison Barnes had a really good season last year played all 82 games was productive but he kind of got phased out of that Warrior series and you entered the offseason wondering about his future with the with the Kings because he was basically you know shaved
From the rotation almost in that Warrior series so just how does it end for Malik but how does it end for the Kings like do you feel like they’ve plateaued or do you feel like they’re on the ascent still Anthony I’m I’m curious just in general your general vibe after after
Talking to Malik like do you feel H how just how do you feel about the king’s chances of getting him back I mean they’re you know he’s obviously already there now he’s gonna grow some emotions with with you know connectivity to the team but there are some teams out there
This offseason that are going to have some money he can go start in San Antonio Orlando’s uh been a team that’s been rumored to have interest there’s also good teams out there like Philadelphia that are going to have some cap space money Detroit name Detroit absolutely uh what how do you feel the
King’s chances of uh of keeping Malik pretty good you know I think he likes it I mean like there’s no question he likes that’s not just you know like political talk from him um he uh friendly with Fox that’s why he came here I think his relationship with Mike Brown is healthy
I think he likes having a coach that gets after him but also like lets Malik get back after him and and you know kind of brings the competitive juice out of them so when you um are happy with really how the co coach deploys you but
Also let you be yourself um happy with the organization the other thing is I think he’s I think he likes the slow down nature of Sacramento uh you know having played in Los Angeles he mentioned it I mean he’s you know he’s like a really rabid golfer yeah he’s
Picked that up over the last couple years and I talked to him a little bit about that I only kind of you know subtly mentioned it in the story but it’s kind of a big thing I think like he he it calms him down I think just like
Playing out here living out here I used to cover the Thunder back in the day for a while and you would talk to a lot of those young players the Durant the Westbrooks the abacas at the time about how the slow nature of Oklahoma City allowed them to really focus on the
Craft get in the gym on off days like they didn’t mind going in the gym because they didn’t feel like they were missing some you know big events or big nights out uh and I just think Malik has really enjoyed that from a professional perspective because it’s not like you
Don’t travel the country or you know can live in LA or wherever in the off season so I do think he really likes the setup here the bigger question is the money right I mean you know 17 million uh is a starting salary next year would a team
Take him well over 20 I think if you’re if a team’s just say hey 20 I don’t know that the difference between 20 and 17 is that substantial but if we start talking about the difference between 25 and 17 starting salary um and especially because teams know this right there
Teams are often much more willing to chase a guy down if it’s like oh is he actually obtainable in this situation because of the CBA limitations makes him potentially obtainable but at the same time taking a step back 4E 77 million is like the kind of the offer the the
Long-term offer that the Kings can put on the table for him that seems reasonable right for for Malik monk that’s a that’s big good money for a guy who’s never got paid before so unless somebody goes way over the top I do think he he wants to be here and four
For 77 we’re not talking about like four for 28 is the is the the largest offer that can give them talking to Anthony Slater of the athletic and his piece on Malik mon Anthony based on your opinion do you think that Malik monk could be a starter on a championship level
Team yeah I mean I I like he could start on the Kings right now I’m not sure it’s like the wisest way to to script your rotation right but um like do you consider the kings of championship team yeah know not necessarily but you know I’m just like theoretically let’s say he
Was you know on the Nuggets instead of cavius calwell Pope yeah he could he could start there and I would still consider the Nuggets like a championship team it just kind of depends on what’s around him um where like are you asking if he could be the second best player on
A championship team no I I don’t really think that um but yeah I mean I think he can be like a high minutes 25 30 minute per guy uh third fourth option who can who can you know win you a playoff game by scoring 32 which he did for the Kings
Last year right they WI game one because he scores 32 they win game six I believe he had 28 in Chase Center like that was a big time playoff win I know they didn’t win a series but for him on the road in that environment to score 28 he
Was a great that night um like that shows you what he can do on a on a playoff stage Anthony Slater thank you so much for your time Anthony look I already told the good people on the airwaves that we go way way back so it’s
My birthday I know I haven’t dropped on Instagram yet so you haven’t seen but it’s my birthday Anthony so I need you to tell the people what I could do before my achilles I need you to tell the good people that I could cook back in the day
Anthony that Lefty layup come on tell the good people what you know have y all watched Brandon psky much with the Warriors yes yes yes a little Brandon psky in his game right maybe that little like Lefty step back when the defense ain’t paying attention much you’re like
How did this how did this guy come in and grab this rebound yes you know did he just take a charge in an inner mural no come on I would not do that wow wow could not have picked a better player you know he had a shot it was like a Qui
It was kind of like a quick trigger shot right it’s like that like you know you’re like oh I didn’t know he was even taking that it’s already up little Sasha bankov in his game that’s right okay I tell you what he I tell you what he
Couldn’t do well guarding the post all right from firsthand experience okay basically no we had a two on two we had a two on two it was one of my one of my buddies and one of Anthony’s buddies and the shot wasn’t falling that day and
Anthony he got me in the post and you know he’s crafty in the post and they won the game all right is that what you wanted Anthony well I’ve retired at this point so so you should uh be happy that it will never happen to you again there
You go there you go Anthony Slater of the athletic check out all of his work including his outstanding piece on Malik mon Anthony thank you so much we’ll see you soon and we’ll talk to you again all right F when we return breaking down what we just heard from Anthony Slater
Does that make you feel better or worse about Malik’s chances of staying and also expectations for Keon and Sasha Styles and Watkins sack Down Sports
Anthony Slater, Warriors and NBA reporter for The Athletic, joined “Stiles & Watkins” to talk about his recent interview with Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner Malik Monk.
In the piece, the 26-year-old impending free agent told Slater he would love to stay in Sacramento, but there are factors involved.
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1 Comment
Heck yeah Malik would like Sac when he is a country boy from Arkansas