Author Topic: All about Greg Monroe  (Read 7199 times)

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All about Greg Monroe
« on: May 07, 2015, 12:37:29 AM »

Offline crimson_stallion

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Greg Monroe is one of the bigger free agent names coming up this year, and one that we probably have a legit shot at.  As a result there's been a lot of debate here about whether he'd fit the team. 

So, I figured I'd post up some numbers (Per Basketball Reference and Draft Express) and see what people have to say. 

Physical
Height: 6'11"
Weight: 253 lbs
Wingspan: 7'2"
Standing Reach: 9'
No step vertical: 25.0
Max Vertical: 29.0


Stats - Basic
Points:  15.9
Rebounds: 10.2
Assists: 2.1
Steals: 1.1
Blocks: 0.5
Turnovers: 2.2
Fouls: 2.1
Minutes: 31.0


Stats - Per 36 Minutes
Points:  18.5
Rebounds: 11.9
Assists: 2.4
Steals: 1.3
Blocks: 0.6
Turnovers: 3.6
Fouls: 3.6


Stats - Offensive
FG% (0-3 FT): 61.3%
FG% (3-10 FT): 36.5%
FG% (10-16 FT): 32.1%
FG% (16-3PT): 35.1%
FG% (total): 49.6%
Points Per FGA: 1.28

FGA% (0-3 FT): 53%
FGA% (3-10 FT): 39.2%
FGA% (10-16 FT): 0.33%
FGA% (16-3PT): 0.43%
FGA Assisted: 49.9%

Free Throw Percentage: 75.0%
Free throw Attempts Per Game: 4.9
Free Throw Rate (FTA/FGA): 0.394

Assists Per Game: 2.1
Assist Percentage: 11.7%
PPG Generated by Assists: 4.8

Points Generated Per Game: 20.7
Points Generated Per 36 Minutes: 24.0


Stats - Defense
Contest Percentage: 37.2%
Rim FG% Allowed: 55.1%
Points Saved Per Game: -1.06
Points Saved Per 36 Minutes: -1.2


Stats - Advanced
Offensive Real Plus-Minus: 0.36 (26th among all PF)
Defensive Real Plus-Minus: 2.30 (13th among all PF)
Overall Real Plus-Minus: 2.66 (12th among all PF)
Wins Above Replacement: 6.51 (12th among all PF)
Usage Rate: 23.9%

PER @ Power Forward: 17.9
Opponent PER @ Power Forward: 18.0
Net PER @ Power Foward: -0.1

PER @ Center: 26.8
Opponent PER @ Center: 19.9
Net PER @ Center: +6.9

That's about all the resources I could pull there, but if there is anybody interested in knowing more about Monroe, hopefully this helps to give us some insight into him as a player and some of his strengths / weaknesses.
« Last Edit: May 07, 2015, 01:52:28 AM by crimson_stallion »

Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2015, 01:01:20 AM »

Offline crimson_stallion

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I think looking at these stats there are probably two things that jump out at me the most:

1) Monroe doesn't seem to do much from outside - either he's not comfortable out there, the Pistons just choose not to use him that way, but 92% of all Monroe's his Field Goal Attempts come from within 10 feet of the basket.

2) Monroe is definitely seems to be better suited to the center spot, rather than PF.  His PER is essentially identical to his opponent's PER when he's playing at the PF spot, but he pretty much dominates his opponents (+6.9 PER) when he's at the center spot.

3) Passing is an underrated part of Monroe's game.  He produces an additional 5.5 Points Per 36  for his team as a result of assists - that's in addition to the 18.5 Points Per 36 that he scores himself.  That means that in total he generates a total of about 24 points for his team Per 36.

Even without a rim protector, I think adding Monroe at the center spot could really improve this team, simply because of the way he outplays his opponents at the center spot.  However he's also a guy with a very specific set of skills (post scoring, passing, rebounding) so if you wanted to build a really devastating front court you'd probably need to start him at Center and then add a relatively athletic rim protector at the PF spot - and one who can also hit the outside jumper with some consistency.   

A Serge Ibaka + Greg Monroe front court would be absolute perfection, but probably a long shot.

Is there anyone at PF that we might have a shot at, who might be able to slip in to this PF role? Aside from Kevin Garnett that is haha
 

« Last Edit: May 07, 2015, 01:54:09 AM by crimson_stallion »

Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2015, 01:22:13 AM »

Offline PhoSita

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Interesting. Thank you for posting this.

I definitely think that Monroe needs to be at center to succeed.  Ideally next to an energetic, mobile PF, somebody like Amir Johnson or Taj Gibson, but with some range.
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Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2015, 01:38:44 AM »

Offline indeedproceed

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Interesting. Thank you for posting this.

I definitely think that Monroe needs to be at center to succeed.  Ideally next to an energetic, mobile PF, somebody like Amir Johnson or Taj Gibson, but with some range.

Thing is, Amir Johnson has likely plateaued and is about to regress. Taj Gibson likewise is at his ceiling.

The thing that would make a Greg Monroe acquisition hopeful to me is Brad Stevens. A chef is only as good as his ingredients, and Monroe is top shelf. But he's specific, and he needs the right vision to flourish.

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Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #4 on: May 07, 2015, 01:41:23 AM »

Offline Monkhouse

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Interesting. Thank you for posting this.

I definitely think that Monroe needs to be at center to succeed.  Ideally next to an energetic, mobile PF, somebody like Amir Johnson or Taj Gibson, but with some range.

Thing is, Amir Johnson has likely plateaued and is about to regress. Taj Gibson likewise is at his ceiling.

The thing that would make a Greg Monroe acquisition hopeful to me is Brad Stevens. A chef is only as good as his ingredients, and Monroe is top shelf. But he's specific, and he needs the right vision to flourish.

Which is why I have a feeling Monroe wouldn't be a good fit on the Celtics. If there is any big men that is or could be on the free agent market, Kevin Love is the best guy in terms of rebounding, spacing the floor, and just being able to score.
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Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #5 on: May 07, 2015, 01:55:48 AM »

Offline saltlover

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I think looking at these stats there are probably two things that jump out at me the most:

1) Monroe doesn't seem to do much from outside - either he's not comfortable out there, the Pistons just choose not to use him that way, but 92% of all Monroe's his Field Goal Attempts come from within 10 feet of the basket.

2) Monroe is definitely seems to be better suited to the center spot, rather than PF.  His PER is essentially identical to his opponent's PER when he's playing at the PF spot, but he pretty much dominates his opponents (+6.9 PER) when he's at the center spot.

3) Passing is an underrated part of Monroe's game.  He produces an additional 5.5 PPG for his team as a result of assists - that's in addition to the 18.5 PPG that he scores himself.  That means that in total he generates a total of about 24 points for his team Per 36.

Even without a rim protector, I think adding Monroe at the center spot could really improve this team, simply because of the way he outplays his opponents at the center spot.  However he's also a guy with a very specific set of skills (post scoring, passing, rebounding) so if you wanted to build a really devastating front court you'd probably need to start him at Center and then add a relatively athletic rim protector at the PF spot - and one who can also hit the outside jumper with some consistency.   

A Serge Ibaka + Greg Monroe front court would be absolute perfection, but probably a long shot.

Is there anyone at PF that we might have a shot at, who might be able to slip in to this PF role? Aside from Kevin Garnett that is haha
 

As a realistic option, after we've paid Monroe a ton of money, I think you're talking Alexis Ajinca.  Shoots reasonably well on KG-length jumpers, and probably could stretch out beyond the arc.  He's not Ibaka, but he's still a good shotblocker and rebounder.  Shoots 80% from the line, also.  He's only 26, so could be worth seeing what he's like in a full-time role.

Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #6 on: May 07, 2015, 02:25:03 AM »

Offline crimson_stallion

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The thing that would make a Greg Monroe acquisition hopeful to me is Brad Stevens. A chef is only as good as his ingredients, and Monroe is top shelf. But he's specific, and he needs the right vision to flourish.

I was thinking that as well.  Looking at Monroe, I see a lot of potential, and it seems like Brad Stevens is one of the best coaches in the league when it comes to bringing potential out of guys who previously seemed very one-dimensional.   

I mean, lets look at Monroe's key weaknesses.

1 - Defense
Monroe lacks the physical agility / foot speed to be a strong defender at the PF spot, but what about at Center? 

He seems to have pretty solid basketball IQ to go along with good height, good wingspan, broad frame and great physical strength.  Plus his DRPM is already pretty decent, ranking him 12th among all NBA PF's. 

I think he has potential (in the right system and under the right tutelage) to become a pretty solid below the rim defender, in the mold of David West.


2 - Outside jumper
Monroe shoots roughly the same percentage ever where from 3 Feet right out to 20 Feet, yet only 8% of his total field goals come from outside 10 Feet.

It doesn't seem like his jumper is completely broken - could it just be that he lacks confidence from that range, or that the team simply discourages him from taking shots that far out?

If he came to play for Boston, then based on past history (Sully, Bass, etc) BS would most likely put a very strong focus on extending Monroe's range - both by improving his jumper, and by giving him more confidence to take the shot. 

Given that Monroe (with no real jump shot to speak of) is already scoring at a rate of around 18.5 points per 36 minutes, how dangerous could he be if he added a 15-16 foot jumper?
« Last Edit: May 07, 2015, 02:44:25 AM by crimson_stallion »

Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #7 on: May 07, 2015, 02:28:47 AM »

Offline PhoSita

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Interesting. Thank you for posting this.

I definitely think that Monroe needs to be at center to succeed.  Ideally next to an energetic, mobile PF, somebody like Amir Johnson or Taj Gibson, but with some range.

Thing is, Amir Johnson has likely plateaued and is about to regress. Taj Gibson likewise is at his ceiling.

The thing that would make a Greg Monroe acquisition hopeful to me is Brad Stevens. A chef is only as good as his ingredients, and Monroe is top shelf. But he's specific, and he needs the right vision to flourish.

Right. I'm not sure there's a player in the league right now who fits my description.  Ibaka?  Millsap?  It's not an easy skill set to find.
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Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #8 on: May 07, 2015, 02:36:08 AM »

Offline Rida

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Ugh, no way, Monroe is likely a max guy this summer, we need a rim protector.

I would hate to waste cap space, especially Max cap space on a guy whose NBA ceiling is a poor mans Al Jefferson.

Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #9 on: May 07, 2015, 03:24:44 AM »

Offline crimson_stallion

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Ugh, no way, Monroe is likely a max guy this summer, we need a rim protector.

I would hate to waste cap space, especially Max cap space on a guy whose NBA ceiling is a poor mans Al Jefferson.

Poor man's Al Jefferson? 

Monroe is only 25 years old and is already better than Jefferson in almost every regard.  He's a more efficient scorer, he's a better rebounder, he's a better passer and he's a far better defender. 

The only think Jefferson has over Monroe is a consistent jumpshot - if Monroe ever develops one of those, then it's Jefferson who will the poor-man's Monroe.

Also, I'm trying to gauge players who are realistically available to us, and that list most likely excludes guys like DeAndre Jordan, Kevin Love, Marc Gasol and LeMarcus Aldridge.   

I can't really think of anyone else who can offer rim protection, who isn't a significant offensive liability (e.g. Asik), and who we actually have a good shot at signing.  Maybe Hibbert, he can at least contirbute some on offense.  Can't think of anybody else really. 

The thing I like about Monroe is that:

1) He's a very good scorer
2) He's a borderline elite rebounder
3) He's one of the NBA's better passing bigs (fits with our motion offense)
4) He's at least decent on defense
5) He's young, with legit upside
6) He should be available for money that (between his potential and the increasing league cap) would probably look like a bargain 2 years from now

I know Monroe isn't much of a rim protector, but there's more than one way to win a basketball game. 

Monroe's has such a dominant inside post game that we could run our entire offense through him in the old-school way and play our game inside-out.  Very few teams can defend a guy like Monroe 1-on-1 in the post because:

* He's big (tall, long, strong, you name it)
* He has a very skilled post game
* He's a very good passer (so he can beat double teams)
* He's a good free throw shooter, so you can't apply hack-a-Shaq methods

We already have capable shooters at every position except small forward.  If we get Monroe and add a lights-out shooter (a Korver / Reddick type) at the small forward spot, then we can play through Monroe in the post and force teams to decide whether to try to defend him with single coverage, or risk getting beat by our outside shooters. 

If you think about it, that's basically the same approach Orlando took in the Dwight Howard days where they would stick Dwight in the middle and surround him with shooters.  The difference is that Dwight never had much post game, wasn't a great passer, and couldn't shoot free throws - so you could just stay home on the shooters and Dwight was limited in how much he could really make you pay.  But despite this, they were still a very tough team to guard.  I always thought it was that precise dynamic (having to choose between Dwight or the shooters) that made that team so dangerous. 

It's a bit unorthodox for today's league, but I think it could be effective.  Then you can take a flyer on a guy like Noah Vonleh and see if you can develop him in to a Serge Ibaka type. 
« Last Edit: May 07, 2015, 04:18:32 AM by crimson_stallion »

Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #10 on: May 07, 2015, 04:26:38 AM »

Offline krumeto

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It is such a good preparation, it just deserves a TP.

Monroe is a natural target at a position of need. Very good offensively, underrated defender. I am sure Danny will be among the first suitors to call his agent.

I find a pair of Monroe and Sully a bit slow on D and redundant on O, but this should not stop us from pursuing him. Stevens has proven he is not afraid to mix up lineups and it is anyway a "slim-or-go" summer for Sully.
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Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #11 on: May 07, 2015, 07:39:11 AM »

Offline Yb2

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Monroe's agent is ET'S and Sully's agent. Plus Monroe is friends with them. He'll be easier than other target as he hasn't yet reached the ring-chasing age.

As for redundancy, look at Z-Bo and Gasol in Memphis. The same could be said about them offensively , yet, it works

Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #12 on: May 07, 2015, 07:49:30 AM »

Offline Birdman

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Great post!! TP for this..i also would love to see Monroe in Boston..I also don't see a lot of teams chasing him..maybe New York for one
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Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #13 on: May 07, 2015, 07:51:53 AM »

Offline The One

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I'm all in for Monroe.  Gives the Celtics an advantage at the Center position offensively.

Stevens will help him defensively.

Monroe can really play...also there's room for improvement.  He hasn't hit his top level yet.

Re: All about Greg Monroe
« Reply #14 on: May 07, 2015, 08:53:14 AM »

Offline slamtheking

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I think looking at these stats there are probably two things that jump out at me the most:

1) Monroe doesn't seem to do much from outside - either he's not comfortable out there, the Pistons just choose not to use him that way, but 92% of all Monroe's his Field Goal Attempts come from within 10 feet of the basket.

2) Monroe is definitely seems to be better suited to the center spot, rather than PF.  His PER is essentially identical to his opponent's PER when he's playing at the PF spot, but he pretty much dominates his opponents (+6.9 PER) when he's at the center spot.
terrific effort pulling in those numbers - TP.

These items also jumped out at me.  I've always considered him a PF more than a Center but these stats would seem to indicate the reverse.  The stats also show that he seems ineffective away from the basket and that would seem to run contrary to the system Brad runs.

What I also noticed is that this D is not at the level this team needs from a center.  Neither KO nor Sully provide a defensive matchup to cover for Monroe if we brought him here.  Although, offensively, KO passing in to Monroe could be a Bird-Mchale-lite combo of outside shooter and post offense while if Sully were paired with him we should more than hold our own on the boards which would be a nice change.