Malik Monk Is Breaking Records: Inside the Kings Guard's Red-Hot 60.9% Catch-and-Shoot Explosion

Sacramento, CA—Less than a month into the 2025-26 NBA season, Malik Monk is turning heads with a blistering start that is quietly rewriting the Sacramento Kings’ offensive script. The 27-year-old guard is averaging 16.3 points on 55.4 percent shooting and a career-best 52.9 percent from beyond the arc, numbers made even more jaw-dropping by a 60.9 percent success rate on catch-and-shoot threes through his first seven games. Efficiency Over Volume • Monk is taking just 10.6 field-goal attempts per game—four fewer than last season—yet his true-shooting percentage has spiked thanks to precise shot selection and faster off-ball relocation. • The Kings rank in the league’s top five for pace, and Monk’s quick trigger has become a built-in release valve whenever defenses load up on DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook. Why the Catch-and-Shoot Matters Sacramento’s offense is built around multiple downhill playmakers. Monk’s newfound reliability spotting up in the corners and at the break forces weak-side defenders to stay home, widening driving lanes for Westbrook and DeRozan while opening pocket-pass angles for Domantas Sabonis in short-roll situations. Off-Season Refinement Monk spent the summer honing footwork with assistant coach Luke Loucks, focusing on one-motion gathers rather than the hop he favored early in his career. The tweak has shaved milliseconds off his release and improved balance, a key reason his catch-and-shoot percentage has jumped from 34.7 percent last year to its current elite mark. Trade Rumor Smoke Screen? Persistent chatter linked Monk to a potential sign-and-trade as the Kings explored roster upgrades over the summer. For now, league insiders believe Sacramento will ride the hot hand, but his friendly $18.8 million salary for 2025-26 makes him one of the league’s most coveted movable contracts—especially for contenders starved for bench scoring punch. Impact on the Kings’ Trajectory Sacramento opened 3-6 but boasts a positive net rating whenever Monk is on the floor. If the Kings aspire to stay in the Western Conference play-in mix, maintaining Monk’s minutes and shot diet will be critical, particularly in late-game sets where his gravity allows DeRozan to isolate one-on-one at the elbows. What’s Next The Kings host the Phoenix Suns on Friday, a matchup that pits Monk against Devin Booker in a duel of Kentucky alumni sharpshooters. Another efficient outing could push Monk into the early Sixth Man of the Year conversation for the third straight season, cementing his status as one of the NBA’s premier microwave scorers.