SACRAMENTO -- The Kings could be getting reinforcements soon after playing several games without three of their most important players.
Malik Monk, who has missed the past four games because of a moderate right ankle sprain, has been cleared for individual on-court workouts and will be reevaluated again in the coming days, the team announced Monday.
Monk suffered the injury in the second quarter of the Kings' game against the Phoenix Suns on Nov 10. The runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year last season, Monk is averaging 12.6 points in 25 minutes as part of a second unit that has largely struggled to produce so far this year, scoring 24.8 points -- the fourth worst in the league.
DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis, who both have missed one game because of lower back tightness, have also been cleared to resume individual on-court work. They will be considered day to day.
DeRozan is averaging 22.9 points in 36.5 minutes per game so far this season, while Sabonis is scoring 20.2 points in 36.5 minutes.
"Obviously, we want our guys to be healthy," Kings coach Mike Brown said ahead of Monday's 109-108 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. "Our medical team is going to keep doing what they are doing, and our guys are going to keep doing what they need to do to get back and when they come back it'll be great. But otherwise, it's the next man up."
