Comments on: My, my how quickly people changed their tune on Greg Monroe

By: nuetes

nuetes — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 03:16:48 +0000

pcb

i take offense to you calling monroe complimentary. only i can call him that.

but i take it all back. i’ve flip flopped and i have no qualms about it. i’ve erased all unimportant preseason/summer league games from memory and only have his 3 professional NBA games in which to judge him from. the man can rebound. he can pass. he can dribble. he is big. he will average 10+ boards a game, and that’s what i was afraid he wouldn’t do. he showed zero evidence in the preseason and summer league that he was going to rebound at this rate. if he’s going to keep this up i don’t care if he scores ever. it would be nice, but i’m just happy we have a big man that is willing to do big man things – like rebound.

the key now is to find another big man that doesn’t want to be a guard. this could be tricky. if we can get two big men that understand that it’s a guards job to shoot 3′s and a big man’s job to rebound and defend the rim then we’ll be in business. wait – why not just play monroe and ben at the same time? i have no idea.

By: Patrick Hayes

Patrick Hayes — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 02:03:12 +0000

@PCB:
Wow. Gotta go line for line in this rebuttal.

“you need to quit dogging daye”

Saying he should play PF isn’t dogging.

“He is boxing out on every play and rebounding ok”

Seven boards per-36 and a total rebound rate that is just above Tracy McGrady isn’t what I’d define as ‘OK.’ He’s rebounding as you’d expect the lightest PF in the league and a guy who is a SG/SF would. If the best thing about his rebounding that I can say is, “Well … it’s better than Charlie Villanueva’s,” then you are not an “OK” rebounder.

“he is moving to the perimeter on offense and looking to take the shot or make a move off the dribble”

Both things he could do backing up the SF and PF positions from the bench, playing about the same number of minutes.

“And like i have always said: Greg Monroe is going to be a fine complementary player for many years – a 14 point, 8 rebound, 4 assist player”

14-8-4 isn’t a complimentary player. That’s borderline all-star numbers coming from a big man.

The argument isn’t about Daye playing well or not playing well. He hasn’t played particularly well, but that’s irrelevant to my argument. Monroe has a better chance to excel starting at PF, playing next to Wallace and helping shore up their interior presence some. He’s also been a beast on the boards based on per-minute numbers. The Pistons get killed in rebounding, it would make sense to get their second best rebounder into the starting lineup.

Daye would be more valuable using his versatility off the bench. He can back up the three and the four, play against crappier players on other teams’ second units he’d be getting comfortable in a role more like the one he’ll play during his NBA career as a hybrid forward, rather than a skinny dude being asked to go get pushed around every single game at a position he’s just not equipped to handle.

By: detroitpcb

detroitpcb — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 00:09:23 +0000

And like i have always said: Greg Monroe is going to be a fine complementary player for many years – a 14 point, 8 rebound, 4 assist player – as soon as next year when he is stronger and knows the league

By: detroitpcb

detroitpcb — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 00:00:08 +0000

@patrick

you need to quit dogging daye. He is doing exactly what the coach wants him to do. He is playing good defense although sometimes overmatched. He is boxing out on every play and rebounding ok, and he is moving to the perimeter on offense and looking to take the shot or make a move off the dribble. So far, the shots have not been falling but that will change. A little confidence is all he needs.

By: Patrick Hayes

Patrick Hayes — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 22:26:55 +0000

@Andrew:
First of all, mad thanks to the Warriors for taking Udoh over Monroe. I liked Ekpe, but Monroe was a top six talent no question.
The flap over Monroe has basically been this: the Pistons are always known for not playing young guys, and Monroe logged DNP-CDs in his first two games despite the fact that Detroit might have the weakest frontcourt in the league (case in point: Austin Daye starting at PF).
So that, combined with Joe Dumars’ spotty record drafting players, caused all of the talk radio bozos and columnists in Michigan to start with the “Monroe is a bust” stuff after just two games.
Then, of course, Monroe gets decent minutes in a couple of games and plays well and they are all exposed for being alarmists.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 21:31:28 +0000

Patrick, Out here in Golden State us Dubs fans would have loved to have him at number 6, what’s everyone complaining about? Our pick Udoh hasn’t even played yet. What reasoning does Detroit have in keeping him on the bench at 0-5?

By: nuetes

nuetes — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:27:20 +0000

Well, when your options are both bad that would tend to be the case.

By: Alan

Alan — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:01:06 +0000

Whoever starts will draw the ire of the fanbase. Whoever comes off the bench will be who we wish for. Classic Detroit!

By: Patrick Hayes

Patrick Hayes — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:49:13 +0000

@Alan:

Daye would be much better off the bench. Positions matter much less on second units. A lot of teams do funky things with their lineups when they go to the bench, and since Daye is a guy who really doesn't fit any position perfectly, it would seem he'd be much more effective there.

By: Patrick Hayes

Patrick Hayes — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:47:49 +0000

@nuetes:

Completely agree on the minute restriction with Wallace. Makes no sense. Play him 28-30 minutes a game. He'll be fine. The team will maybe stop blowing leads with him on the court more too.