Kings guard Malik Monk’s recovery timeline is as expected for a “moderate” right ankle sprain.
Stanford Medicine’s Dr. Geoffrey Abrams on Wednesday told NBC Sports California the specifics about the injury Sacramento’s sixth man suffered in Sunday’s win over the Phoenix Suns.
“In the video, it looks like he probably has what we call a ‘low ankle sprain,’ Abrams said. “And if [the Kings are] terming it ‘moderate’ … that would fit the timeline. ‘Mild’ can be less than two weeks. ‘Moderate’ can be two to three weeks, maybe four, and then higher-grade injuries can be four to six.
So, the timeline fits for a moderate ankle sprain.
That’s promising news for Monk and the Kings, as he hobbled into the road locker room at Footprint Center in noticeable pain after stepping on the shoe of Suns center Mason Plumlee in an attempt to close out on Suns guard Grayson Allen.
Malik Monk appeared to injure his ankle on this play pic.twitter.com/KuZFzXXepN
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 11, 2024
Abrams is confident Monk can return to the court without any serious fear of re-injury. As long as the Kings gradually ramp up his ankle’s strength and mobility, Monk should be back to his normal high-flying, hard-cutting self.
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“The X-ray was negative, which means there are no fractures,” Abrams said. “MRIs obviously show the ligaments and tendons, inflammation in the soft tissues, and that really can help guide the team -- the team doctors and physiotherapists and medical staff -- about rehab timelines and progressions.”
Nothing about Monk’s situation seems atypical. Ankle sprains are injuries that any basketball consumer -- or Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery like Abrams -- sees often.
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More will be known, though, once Monk is reevaluated in roughly 12 days as the Kings stated. Until then, Sacramento must keep trekking.
“Obviously, with the impact that he has with our group, we’re going to miss him, but the NBA’s going to hold games for us until he gets back,” Kings coach Mike Brown said Monday. “So we got to push forward and try and get it done.”
