Kentucky’s Malik Monk to miss summer league with Hornets with ankle injury

By SEAN BOCK

Former Kentucky shooting guard and Charlotte Hornets first-round draft pick Malik Monk will not participate in the 2017 NBA Summer League due to a sprained ankle which he tweaked in a pre-draft workout, the team announced Tuesday.

Hornets announce Malik Monk is doubtful for Orlando Summer League. pic.twitter.com/1e8czKlMaZ

— Adi Joseph (@AdiJoseph) June 27, 2017

The 6-foot-3 Monk is expected to be out for 2-4 weeks and, according to the club and team doctors, will be back in time for training camp before the start of the NBA season.

In his freshman year at Kentucky, Monk averaged 19.8 points per game which was good for second among NCAA freshmen. Monk also shot a little under 40 percent from the three-point line which is what he does best from a scoring standpoint.

WATCH: @AhmadMonk sits down to talk with us about his goals for his first #NBA season ? Full interview: https://t.co/M5eO1tsYFz pic.twitter.com/bYIVWyPDok

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) June 27, 2017

Monk was expected to go in the top 10 of this year’s draft according to DraftExpress and multiple other expert mock drafts. Instead, Monk fell to No. 11 to the Hornets (past the Knicks, among other teams0, which teams him up with former New York City and UConn star Kemba Walker. Many anticipate Monk and Walker will complement each other’s games perfectly and provide the Hornets with one of the more intriguing backcourts in the NBA.

Monk’s absence will allow second-round draft pick Dwayne Bacon out of Florida State to play more minutes at the shooting guard position.

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