A God-given opportunity! Murray will be out for at least a month due to injury. Is this a chance for the old Lakers player to prove himself?

Keegan Murray played a total of 2,610 minutes in the 24-25 season, 88% of which played in the fourth position. Regarding the data, we draw two points:

1. All 76 appearances this season were made as starters;

2. The average of 10.8 shots per game ranked fifth in the team.

Judging from the data, Murray is the Kings' main No. 4 player. In the new season, not surprisingly, he and DeRozan will also be the team's starting forward combination.

However, according to the NBA China official website: Murray will undergo a review in 4-6 weeks due to a torn collateral ligament in his left thumb.

Murray will be out injured for at least a month. What does it mean for Malik Monk?

I think the opportunity for the former Lakers player to prove has come.

First of all, in the 11,943 minutes played so far in his career, 69% have been played in the second position and 21% have been played in the first position. According to the data, Monk is a combo guard. Here comes the problem:

1. They cannot swing upward to play forward;

2. In the new season, the Kings have Schroeder, who signed a three-year, $45 million contract this summer, at the first position, and LaVine at the second position.

In other words, normally Monk will return to the role of the sixth man on the bench - he has played 523 times and started 83 times in his career - and is also positioned as the bench.

However, things took a turn for the better with Murray's injury.

First of all, so far in his career, LaVine has played 47% at the second position and 34% at the third position. Belonging to the swingman at forward and guard, he can swing up and form the starting striker with DeRozan, so that Monk can play the second starting position.

Can Monk, who is very expected to return to the starting lineup, prove himself?

I don’t think it’s a big problem.

Features

In just three seasons with the Kings, Monk's two-point assist rate was 47.3% and his shooting rate was 53.3%. In other words, at this stage, the former Lakers player can finish inside the three-point line both with and without the ball, and his shooting rate exceeds 50%. Leaving aside the lack of the ball, having good shooting ability can enhance your presence on the court.

As Reeves.

Why does Pelinka regard Xiaoli as a "treasure"? A very important point is that the relatively stable ability to finish with a shot is something that the Lakers, except for Doncic and James, cannot achieve at this stage.

For Monk, having two points with and without the ball allows him to adapt to more of the Kings' offensive systems - he plays without the ball when he is on the court with DeRozan and LaVine, and he plays with the ball when connecting with the second team. Having the ability to score two points with or without the ball is one of them.

Positivity

In addition, before Kuminga and the Warriors reached an agreement on a contract extension, Monk was one of the bargaining chips for the Kings to sign the former. Later, it was revealed that the Kings were willing to trade Monk in order to make room for Westbrook. From the side, the King's demand for Monk has indeed declined after signing Schroeder.

This time he is very likely to return to the starting lineup. Obviously, Munch is very motivated, and his life-threatening performance proves it to be precise. Highly motivated, with a "BUFF" bonus to a large extent. High motivation, this is the second one.

To sum up, the reason why Monk can prove himself is mainly reflected in two points:

1. He has the ability to score two points with and without the ball;

2. He is highly motivated.

Relatively speaking, I think the first point is the main reason.

First of all, you have to be able to seize opportunities when they arise. Monk can seize opportunities with his good two-point ability with and without the ball. Just like what happened when Fox was traded to the Spurs in the 24-25 season - Monk averaged 18.1 points and 5.9 assists per game after the All-Star Game.

Secondly, with certain abilities and motivation, Munch can prove himself.