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I made this point the other day in another thread so please excuse me for repeating myself but Isaiah was viewed as a flawed player who was difficult to play with before he came and now he's an all star. Think Monroe could have a similar uptick and finally find a defined role if he was traded here.
.......I'm higher on this trade as a fit than Horford and less worried about him physically breaking down than Howard.
I agree.
Young (25 years old), experienced (6th year in the league), incredibly durable, good passer, good rebounder, has the physical tools to be a decent defender, runs the floor well and locked up for 2 1/2 more years at only $17mil.
The guy's a bargain. He will be far more effective defensively with our perimeter defenders.
I'm in a fantasy league (
Plug to DKCLeague, always looking for new members) where i have a lot invested in Monroe. I watched him a lot on the Pistons, I've watched probably 15 or so of his games this year.
What i think, is that Monroe is not a leader. He's not a guy who can call out defensive sets. He's a frontrunner, where he plays about as well as his team is playing. He demands (and deserves, usually) the ball regardless, but when the team is down, emotionally, not necessarily score-wise, Monroe does not run hard, he does not rotate on defense, he points fingers when there are blown assignments on the wing that he can't cover.
When they're losing, looking at Monroe is easy as a part of the problem, because he is. He can't be a defensive anchor in a lineup of flawed defenders, and resents when guys who aren't good defenders let their guy blow by them. He starts looking at the refs after every missed shot, or turnover. He is kind of a wet blanket when things are down, if that makes sense.
He's also obviously the Bucks best player when the team is engaged. He offers something only 3 or 4 other centers in the NBA can offer, in that you can legit run your offense through him. He doesn't have gaudy assist numbers, because he makes the pass that makes the pass. Think Marc Gasol level passing. Monroe could offer that. He also is kind of unstoppable in the post if the rest of the defense is being kept honest. Think of the best defensive center in the NBA. Greg Monroe can score on them. He's also been an elite rebounder in the past, and I'm sure he can be one again. He's only a pretty good rebounder for the position now.
Greg Monroe is a lot like a gifted but somewhat lazy teenager. He can surprise you when you put him in a position to succeed. He has a problem with self-motivation, he needs a team around him that is motivated. He likes to think he's important, but if you ask him to handle too much, you're going to be disappointed. He thinks he's 'the man', but is terrified of really embracing the role, and would rather someone else did it. He likes to be a part of something that is excited, if you put him on a team with a strong coach, with motivated teammates who have bought in, he'll fall in line. If he's on a team that is a bit rudderless, well...you'll go nowhere.
Topic: Bleacher report says the celtics should go for monroe (Read 6188 times)