Kings' Malik Monk a Sixth Man of the Year Candidate? Mike Brown says yes

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Mike Brown has become a walking meme in his first year as head coach of the Sacramento Kings. He roared like a lion during media day. He took the mic and interviewed Jay Triano. He’s sprinted from one end of the court to the other, nearly falling down in the process. 

On Wednesday night, as the Kings prepared to take on the Indiana Pacers, for some unknown reason, Brown decided to show off his socks while telling the world that Malik Monk should get some mention for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. 

“Malik Monk should get some mention for Sixth Man of the Year, I’m just putting that out there,” Brown said unsolicited. “Again, Malik Monk should get some mention for Sixth Man of the Year, I’m putting that out there, especially some of you national guys that are sitting here.”

Like so many other moments this season, it was funny and off the cuff and nearly resulted in disaster. If you see me show up in the video above, it was because Brown had bumped the press conference table forward while pulling his foot up and the front leg was about an eighth of an inch from falling off the stage and creating an even bigger sight. 

Moving past the near catastrophe on the stage, Brown’s point about Monk is well-taken. The 24-year-old is proving to be a free agent diamond in the rough and he’s making Brown, and for that matter, general manager Monte McNair, look like geniuses.

One of the early themes of this season is Brown’s ability to push the right buttons with his players. He empowers them to be who they are on the court, while holding them accountable to strict team standards. Monk is flourishing under Brown, like many others in Sacramento. 

“I appreciate Mike for just letting me be me and letting me show the world what I can do,” Monk told The Kings Beat on Wednesday night.

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