4 Disastrous Kings ripple effects of the Malik Monk injury
By Elaine Blum
2. The Kings could miss the playoffs
As outlined before, the Kings’ chances of escaping the Play-In Tournament and securing the sixth seed in the West are not great without Monk. Similarly, their chances of making it through the tournament and going to the playoffs as the seventh or eighth seed are slim.
The Kings will not be the favorites in any single-elimination games, especially without one of their most explosive scorers and reliable bucket-getters. Unless Keegan Murray, for example, erupts and replicates Monk’s clutch performances, the Play-In Tournament might very well be the end of the Kings’ 2023-24 season.
Missing the playoffs would be disastrous for several reasons. First of all, this entire season was supposed to be about getting the core more playoff experience together and setting the foundation for a longer run in the future. Secondly, not making the playoffs would be bad for the Kings’ draft pick situation.
The Kings still owe the Atlanta Hawks a top-14 protected pick from the Kevin Huerter trade. They need that pick to convey this year to free up their other picks for a potential splash on the trade market this summer. The Kings cannot afford to run back essentially the same roster for a third straight season, and keeping that pick would make it incredibly difficult to get a big trade going.