2. Monk soars over Zach Collins
As a 13-win team, the San Antonio Spurs had to stomach a lot of bad moments already, including a 129-120 loss to the Kings in November after being up big early in the game.
The moment Zach Collins will probably remember most from that game is Malik Monk soaring high and slamming it down over him.
MALIK MONK DETONATED ON ZACH COLLINS pic.twitter.com/9uekoG8UmL
— Jake (@SuperiorNBA) November 18, 2023
Most of Monk’s nightlight dunks this season have been in the fast break, but this one came in the half-court out of a pick-and-roll. That is not an easy thing to do.
As a result, it earned a spot in the NBA’s ranking of the top 10 dunks of the season in December. There have been a lot more highlight dunks since then, many from Monk, but this one should still be up there. Collins is not necessarily a shot blocker, but at 6’11”, he is not a small guy, and that dunk needed serious hops and determination.
Monk never seems to lack those two things.
1. Monk’s early entry for dunk of the year
The Kings started the season off strong with a 130-114 win over the Utah Jazz in their season opener. With 33 points, Harrison Barnes was the man of the hour, but Monk refused to be quiet.
Malik Monk with a VERY early entry for dunk of the year! De’Aaron Fox set him up with the steal and the pass in transition. The @SacramentoKings won their opener 130-114 over the @UtahJazz. #KiaTipOff23 #BeamTeam pic.twitter.com/9RrUwcqSOV
— The Sportsletter (@TheSportsletter) October 26, 2023
Connecting with his college teammate and close friend De’Aaron Fox, he mercilessly slammed it down on Kris Dunn to cap off the fast break. In December, the NBA crowned it as the top dunk of the season at that point, and rightfully so. Dunn probably still has nightmares about Monk flying at him, and it should still be one of the top dunks of the season.
It also got a mention as the second-best play of the season in December. The entire sequence was beautiful, starting with Fox’s steal and ending with Monk’s slam.