Malik Monk is deemed ‘probable’ by the latest reports ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season tipoff. The Lakers guard was suffering from a groin problem.
Advertisement
The Lakers find themselves in a tough spot ahead of their season opener against the Warriors. They finished their pre-season campaign winless, extending their losing streak in official games to 9.
The Warriors, on the other hand, find their roster at a surprisingly feel-good juncture. Steph Curry proved that he’s as good as ever with a vintage 41-point outing in 3 quarters against Portland.
They are 5-0 and hold a lot of momentum coming into the first Western Conference game of the season. The likes of Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and the rest of their supporting cast looks locked in and hungry.
The Lakers will be missing Wayne Ellington and Talen Horton-Tucker for their season opener. Kendrick Nunn is nursing an ankle problem, but he will likely feature in tonight’s exciting game.
Is Malik Monk playing tonight vs Warriors?
The former Charlotte Hornets guard was a valuable addition to the Lakers’ roster this year at a pittance. He took the veteran’s minimum deal in order to accommodate the Lakers’ luxury tax concerns.
Monk suffered a groin strain during their preseason slate, but he looked good in training over the weekend. The indications are that Frank Vogel would want to see him in action, preferably in the starting lineup.
This would mean that Kendrick Nunn comes off the bench for the 2-guard role. LeBron has been a good pairing with the former MJ protege in the limited action we’ve seen thus far.
Frank Vogel will undoubtedly use the season opener to try out a bunch of stuff in a regular season setting. The Lakers have lost their openers for the past 2 seasons due to this factor in no small part.
