Malik Monk or Russell Westbrook A Better Option For the Kings?

Malik Monk or Russell Westbrook A Better Option For the Kings?

And if it came about or Monk, I I’d want Monk. Why? Uh he’s a better player today. Is he a better player for what the Kings need? Uh they’re Well, to me personally, they’re about the same. Okay. For what the Kings need, not as players? For what the Kings need and as players today. Like they are they are both I don’t even want to say this about Malik because I don’t necessarily think he’s there, but they’re like trick-or- treat players. you’ll get a great performance and then you’ll get this awful performance. And Russ at this point in his career, that is just what he is. Like there is no middle ground with Russell Westbrook. He’s either playing a great game and he’s helping you um win a game seven against the the Clippers or he steps on the court in game seven against the Thunder and the whole game shifts in a bad way. Like that’s who he is. And I think Malik Monk on a smaller scale is like that, but he’s a little bit more consistent at this point in his career than than Russell Westbrook. Just a little bit more consistent. Okay. All right. I feel like I could pick apart what you said. I don’t know that I would use the word consistent to describe Malik Monk, but that’s not exactly what you said. You said he’s a little more consistent than Russell Westbrook is right now. Right. So, okay. Like I I I hear you. Little less erratic. No, for sure. Yeah. And and Russ is by his own acknowledgement is erratic in in a in a certain sense. I’ll say this in terms of the case for Russell Westbrook. Putting my general joy and happiness aside, is there something to be said for it appears the Kings don’t want Malik Monk? Yeah. I mean, and and and so I don’t know that it necessarily works like this, but you know, TC talking about go get Westbrook, figure it out later. Again, not not knowing how they could pull this off. Like, is it a situation where you go acquire Russell Westbrook because you you can’t move you don’t intend to play Malik Monk? And again, I don’t know that it necessarily works like that, but I’ve heard Westbrook’s name in Sacramento for months. I won’t go so far as to say it’s a foregone conclusion, but when I asked about when I I the conversation really started about the Denver thing because I asked like he has a team, right? like that like he has a team and the person was like no he just didn’t want to play another year in Denver and I heard James this morning talking about Rush should be playing for a contender like he should like what he did last year he should be trying to go win a championship and while I think a a title would mean a lot to Russell Westbrook I don’t think it means more than being close to his family if Doug Christie tells the Sacramento Kings you know they have the the day after the game off, he charters a flight and goes home and his family the next day in Los Angeles or that night he’s with them in Los Angeles. I think he’ll take that over Chason being a role player. And granted, he was a really important role player for Denver last year and and winning a title. That’s just my opinion. I don’t know that for sure. But when I listen to the man talk, like you know, a lot of people talk about priorities, priorities, priorities. When Russell Westbrook talks, it sounds like family is his number one priority. Not questioning the man’s love of basketball, not questioning anything like that. But that’s why you don’t go to Boston to try to win a title or go to New York to try to win a title. It’s like you don’t have the ability to Mike Brown gives us day off, which we know he probably won’t anyways, to just hop on a plane and wind up in in in your Southern California home in 45 minutes, right? And some of these guys like Westbrook, I I look at it as person personal uh perfectly reasonable. Some people may think it’s selfish or anything. I don’t think it’s like that at all. But they want to still play basketball. They still want to be part of a a team where they can contribute and, you know, get playing time and all this other stuff. You go to the Knicks or you go to Boston, you might be seeing a bunch of DMPS, right? You know, and like, yeah, you’ll be in a winning situation and that’s always great, too, but you know, you still want to play basketball. You No, no shade to this guy at all, but not a lot of people want to be Kevin Love. You know what I’m saying? where Kevin Love is just kind of on a team and hanging around like they want to still get out there. What kind of team are the Kinks trying to build or build towards if you’re moving off of Malik Monks and adding Russell Westbrooks survive? What does that mean? I don’t I don’t like like I don’t even necessarily think that makes you any better. So I’m wondering okay you trying to build an identity you trying to build a culture with that kind of move? Like what is the thinking here? Maybe not. But it could also just be the idea of there’s appears to be something about Malik that this front office doesn’t like. Well, yeah, I get that. Like, it’s fine if you’re not a Malik Monk guy in Sacramento like in that front office or whatever, that’s fine. But like I said, my like my just question is what are you exactly trying to what are you trying to build here then? Well, the culture of the identity like what is what are you adding then? the the cultural identity I think stays the same, but you might be adding some flexibility financially. If you can get in a situation where you move on from Malik Monk and you get maybe expirings back or you get something that better fits your roster, whether it’s like a wing player or uh some type of forward or something like that and that better fits trying to win or you get a young player or something like that that balances the roster out a little bit. It also may potentially balance your books out a little bit more. I I really do think the issue the the biggest issue with Malik Monk is his price tag for the Kings. I think if he was making $7 million a year, I I don’t know if we’d have the same feeling about like, yeah, they’re just trying to move on from this guy. No, cuz he’d be playing under the Trey Lyles deal damn near like that’d be severely underpaying him. I don’t Is 18 million really that much? It’s not like we talked about it a few years ago. We Well, it didn’t it didn’t feel like it was a lot last year. This year it feels like it’s a and if you’re shutting salary and like like what are you Joe Johnson Atlanta contract? I don’t believe I don’t believe that it’s that much. But it feels like the the league thinks it’s too much for a non-starter. So let me so let me ask this question. You think Malik Monk is a better player than Russell Westbrook right now? Yeah. Fine. Is Malik Monk a better point guard than Russell Westbrook right now? If they’re coming off the bench, you’re thinking way too long. The answer to me is definitively no. Well, if they’re coming off the bench, like I could have Malik Monk play with the basketball in his hands for a little while like how it was when he was at his best. And you know, you know how I feel about he’s he’s a a wild card and and as a point guard, he’s not a better he’s he’s a he’s still a better point guard than than than Malik Monk is. If you want to argue Malik is a better basketball player, that’s fine. But he’s not a better point guard. And my point in that was is that’s what the Sacramento Kings want is a point guard. They needed Well, like I can’t argue with what they want, but like I feel like they needed a starting point guard. I feel like the backup spot you can kind of move with just play like playmaking with the ball basketball in his hands and stuff like that. I feel like you don’t necessarily need a traditional backup point guard like starting. Yeah, that didn’t work out. Malle Monk is not a starting point guard in the NBA. No doubt. But I feel like coming off the bench, you can kind of work around that. [Music] I look at this. This may take a little more time to just go through some things, but I look at some of these winning teams. And I I once again, I think Malik Monk is is perfectly fine at $18 million a year, but outside of Nas Reed, are are there a lot of bench guys that are making that type of money? Yeah. So, I think Kyle said this uh whenever it was like how many like contending teams have a player like Malik Monk on their team at that salary as well. That’s that’s the salary. I I don’t know how many do. Is Austin Reeves better than Malik Monk? Yes. Yeah. Okay. You got I No, I didn’t mean that to like come across anyway. Like he’s better. Yeah. I think Austin Reeves Austin Reeves is probably significantly better than Malik Mo. Okay. Yeah. I don’t know. Austin Reed Austin Reed’s really good though. He a good ball player. He’s a good ball player. No shade to him. Um I look at Indiana. Obie Topping’s making 14, 15, 16 over the next three years. Um TJ McConnell’s making 10. Uh let’s I saw um Isaiah Joe was making like 11. So do they lose a thought? What you thinking? I let y’all ride with this long enough. And I’m terribly sorry. Malik Monk is not better than Russell Westbrook right now. No, he’s not. He’s not. Oh, I disagree. No, he’s not. Why not? Why do you come to that? I’m I’m just looking at numbers. The numbers are comparable. Like, and that was with the role Russ had last year. Malik did everything from start to come off the bench to be a point guard to be a two guard. Like, what what is Malik? Let me ask you this. What is Man, God, I’m not trying to turn heel on Malik. Like, what is he good at? He’s he’s a better he’s better scorer today. Well, he got his Okay, he’s a better scoreer. All right. The the the game plan will never be leave him open in the corner for any team. We saw him in that playoff series. I mean the one playoff series, but he turned up when they needed him. I think Malik, man, that was that was wait no that was two years ago. I’m talking about Malik today. They haven’t been back since. Yeah, that’s fine. Malik Malik is that Malik Lashley the starting point guard is a hor like not horrible but like yeah that doesn’t work. I have no interest in that. But Malik Monk the sixman is one of the best in the league at what he does. I don’t. Malik at his best is better than Russell Westbrook at his best at this point in their careers. Well, I I don’t Okay. Russ can. Do we know what Malik’s best is? Like is Malik’s best the the the first year? Is that He was really good the second year, too, cuz we were scared to death that he was going to leave. He was B. There were a number of games that he won that second year. You know, the one off the top of my head is the Orlando Magic game, the overtime game. He had like 33 like he he oh he had moment really good the second year too. Last year nothing really stands out last year the Cavs game with him and Demar at home. Last year you had break in case of emergency but Malik like that didn’t work for anyone on the team last year. He was really good in that that Dallas one where D Rozan hit the game winner. He was really remember he had like 10 points in overtime. Nothing really. He got drowned out by the game Demar had. Dear’s game and then Malik in overtime was crazy. I don’t necessarily believe this about the second year team because I wasn’t too high on them because they just seem pretty inconsistent. But people will tell you that if Malik was healthy at the end of that year, they make the playoffs or the plan to whatever it was. I think they would have I think they would have been they would have finished top six. And I feel like the Well, I I’m going to give That’s a lot of romanticizing. The team wasn’t playing well at that time. They were. Now, I’m not questioning like it went they they took the nose dive once he left. That’s kind of what happened. I don’t even know. Okay. They they were they were they were barely scratching the surface of being okay. Let me They weren’t playing and then they and then yeah, Malik gets hurt and then it and then it dies. They were I I’ll find out in just a second cuz they I ain’t I’m not saying it like they were killing when he was there. But they were they were moving in a good direction. And what do you do with a player that you clearly don’t like? Well, you move him. But I just I guess at this point we just don’t agree with them. I don’t agree with the Kings, I’ll say. It doesn’t feel like moving Malik Monk should be so vital when for for this basketball team. Like the the idea that you can’t figure out the idea that you maybe can’t maybe can’t figure out is the wrong way. The idea that you don’t want to figure out a role for Malik Monk is just it’s great. It’s something that about this off seasonason that I completely don’t understand. Maybe you guys can explain the money reasons to me for this one, but I just never like once they were like, “Oh yeah, they were trying to move off of Malik to get Shruder in here and send him out.” It’s like that didn’t make any sense to me. Can I repeat the problem? It’s Devin Carter. Devin Carter remains the problem. Are we having these questions about a team that has Dennis Shruder, Malik Monk, and and and Russell Westbrook on it? If Devin Carter is gone, this isn’t about Devin. It’s the fact that Monty screwed up the draft last year 100%. And now the Kings and now the Kings Scott Perry are stuck with it. So you think if they were able to move Deon Carter to be perfectly comfortable with me Malik Monk being here? There should there shouldn’t be a question about moving Malik to sign Russell Westbrook. That should not be a question. Right. Right. And Devin Carter much just must not be thought of the league. Just about the shoulder or what? Because he is a lottery pick from last year. I figure that’s can have like no value at all. To be honest with you, if I were them, I wouldn’t even be I wouldn’t even be tripping off Deon Carter like that. If I didn’t think he was if he doesn’t play, he don’t play. But I I need to I need to make whatever moves I need to. If I bring in Russell Westbrook and that puts Devin Carter further down the bench, that’s just something I got to chalk up. You know what I mean? Like I can’t him being there and feeling and I don’t think Scott Perry feels this way, but him being there and feeling like, man, I got to find a role for him because he was a lottery pick. if I don’t believe in what he can bring to the table. No, I’m not doing that. Not doing that at all. I’m I’m not worried about that at all. Yeah, I think that’s just a loss for the Kings at this point. Real quick, last year or not, two years ago, the Kings were uh I don’t know exactly where they were in the standings, but they were 11 games over 500 when Malik Monk went down. They were 42 and 31 when he went down. He averaged 17 points, five and a half assists left that year. Okay. What was the What’s the Is there another footnote to that injury? Herder got hurt. They were gone at the same time. You lost your entire depth at that position. True. Like that. I’m not I’m not, you know, repping Kevin Herder, but like Yeah, that matters. Like they lost matters. They lost everything they had at that position. Absolutely matters. At pretty much in one fell swoop. Mhm. This shouldn’t be a conversation. That’s the other part. Like signing Russell Westbrook, moving Malik Monk shouldn’t be a conversation. You can feel however you want to about signing Russell Westbrook. I’m so confused as to why moving Malik Monk is such a conversation this off seasonason, man. I really think it’s the money. I really do. And you’re trying I I don’t understand that. I don’t know. I don’t know if I buy that, too. It seems like they’re more eager. I feel like I think it’s the I do think it’s the money when you like I said and and I write off some of these contracts. They’re not that far off. Obie Toppin’s not that far off. Um Isaiah Joe’s not that far off when you talk about their AAV and those are bench guys. Well, cuz what are you looking for if you’re trying to move off of that? Like you got a guy at his best like a perennial sixman of the year candidate. Like what are you exactly? Like I know you can looking for wing, but are you getting the same production or anything close? Well, if you’re getting Russell Westbrook at a cheaper rate, yeah, if you’re getting Russell Westbrook at $3 million, $4 million a year, he can, while I think Malik Monk is better, he can give you a lot of that at 13 less million dollars a year. All right, I think I’m lower on Russ than you guys, though. And I think that’s how they’re looking at it. They’re like, “Malik Monk provides a whole lot, but we can get 80% of what Malik brings to the table, whether it’s Russ or somebody else. We can get 80% of that at a cheaper rate. That’s kind of what we want to do. And take that other $14 million and go get a a a small forward or a power forward, which is something we don’t have.” We’re gonna talk to Jake Gayen in a second. And I don’t want this to because Karen Bagley like I I get y’all don’t like Russell Westbrook. the the the the Kings were 25 and 20. That’s what that number is. When Malik Monk started at the point guard position, that’s what he said. So, I’m going to tell Secir Bagley to do is to go look up when Russell Westbrook was starting for Denver. And tell me what that number is. And I won’t, you don’t have to because I have it in front of me. He started 36 games for Denver last year and was 22 and 14. Now, go look at Denver’s record and look at what they did with Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup. Don’t you you don’t have to like Russell Westbrook. You don’t have to like his three-point shooting, but don’t talk about him like he’s an inefficient point guard. Well, not that, but also he was a huge reason that that that Denver was where they were last year. Might have been a huge reason why the season ended, but he’s a huge reason why they were where they were last year. Go Jesse.

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