|
Post by Employee8 on Jan 31, 2018 23:22:57 GMT -5
Monroe will clear waivers on Saturday ...
Chris Mannix says the Celtics & Thunder are high on his list.
Boston Advantages: Most $, Monroe has never been on a winner and BOS has best chance over Thunder and others like the Pels
Pels have a connection via Danny Ferry who has ties to Monroe's agent but will they make the playoffs?
Once in shape, Monroe with Irving will spell Horford, share time with Baynes and become a scorer on 2nd team.
Mannix sounds quite positive that the C's are extremely interested and quite likely to get this done!
|
|
|
Post by Employee8 on Jan 31, 2018 23:28:22 GMT -5
Suns Agree To Buy Out Greg Monroeby Clark CrumPhoto Credit: UnknownThe Suns and Greg Monroe have reached an agreement on a buyout, tweets Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN adds that there will be “significant interest” around the league in signing Monroe to a rest-of-the-season contract once he becomes an unrestricted free agent. GregMonroe vertical GettyThe timing of the deal is a bit peculiar with the trade deadline about a week away, but Bordow surmises that a worthy deal likely wouldn’t have materialized for Monroe anyway, so the timing really didn’t matter to Phoenix. Wojnarowski adds that the Suns did in fact exhaust all trade possibilities before agreeing to the buyout. Earlier in the evening, John Gambadoro of ArizonaSports.com opined that a buyout could be forthcoming after Monroe was not in attendance for tonight’s game against Dallas. Multiple sources indicate that the Celtics, who possess an $8.4MM disabled player exception, are a team to watch in the Monroe sweepstakes, with Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports reporting that the interest is expected to be mutual. Helping Boston is the fact that its disabled player exception – acquired as a result of the season-ending injury to Gordon Hayward – does not prorate throughout the season. As detailed by ESPN’s Bobby Marks, this is different from the mid-level exception that most teams would utilize to offer Monroe a salary over the minimum. In addition to the Celtics, another team said to be interested in Monroe is the Pelicans, per Bordow. New Orleans is in a position to make the playoffs and just lost All-Star DeMarcus Cousins for the rest of the season. Moreover, a potential deal for Nikola Mirotic just fell through after New Orleans refused to guarantee Mirotic’s 2018/19 salary. New Orleans is over the cap and wouldn’t be able to offer a free agent more than the prorated portion of the bi-annual exception — even that would be tricky due to the team’s hard cap and tax ramifications. Still, Monroe is from the New Orleans area, so the Pelicans may be hoping that he is willing to take some sort of hometown discount. In addition, New Orleans could offer him a starting position, while the Celtics would almost certainly bring him off the bench. The Thunder could also be a dark horse in the Monroe sweepstakes, according to Mannix. Meanwhile, the Bucks are ineligible to re-sign Monroe after trading him earlier in the league year. www.hoopsrumors.com/2018/01/suns-buy-out-greg-monroe.html
|
|
|
Post by fierce on Jan 31, 2018 23:54:58 GMT -5
Since it won't cost the Celts any picks or players, I think it's worth a shot.
I mean it's only money and it's not a lot.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jan 31, 2018 23:58:01 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Feb 1, 2018 0:00:56 GMT -5
Since it won't cost the Celts any picks or players, I think it's worth a shot. I mean it's only money and it's not a lot. Hey, I'm all in on Lou WIlliams now too since the Clippers are rebuilding and if picked up in a trade we will retain bird rts to resign him. A future 1st from the C's in 2018 or 2019 and Yabusele/Nader/Larkin
|
|
|
Post by fierce on Feb 1, 2018 0:01:34 GMT -5
I'd like to think of it as preventing other playoff teams getting Monroe.
Monroe could hurt the Celts if he plays against the Celts for another playoff team come playoff time.
|
|
|
Post by fierce on Feb 1, 2018 0:03:43 GMT -5
Since it won't cost the Celts any picks or players, I think it's worth a shot. I mean it's only money and it's not a lot. Hey, I'm all in on Lou WIlliams now too since the Clippers are rebuilding and if picked up in a trade we will retain bird rts to resign him. A future 1st from the C's in 2018 or 2019 and Yabusele/Nader/Larkin Monroe and Lou Williams should do it. I'd be totally surprised if the Celts don't reach the Finals this year. I think next season the Celts will most likely win Banner 18. But who knows, maybe the Celts can upset the Warriors this year.
|
|
|
Post by dfries13 on Feb 1, 2018 9:02:58 GMT -5
I'd like to think of it as preventing other playoff teams getting Monroe. Monroe could hurt the Celts if he plays against the Celts for another playoff team come playoff time. Yep . He would be a headache for us on another team. No Brainer for this year sign Monroe.
|
|
|
Post by cole on Feb 1, 2018 16:34:25 GMT -5
I think he's better than Gortat now for example. Wouldn't want to face him in Washington.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Feb 15, 2018 20:09:06 GMT -5
Can Greg Monroe Save The Celtics’ 2nd Unit?By Graham Allen There was a lot of speculation that the Celtics would make a deal for Tyreke Evans or Lou Williams but they ended up standing pat at the trade deadline. This wasn’t a surprise to Brad Stevens. “I didn’t think we were going to do much. It was probably the least amount of time that I was paying attention to it or on the phone in my 5 years.” While they didn’t make a trade, they did sign the most sought after buyout candidate in Greg Monroe. As Stevens described him before his debut against the Wizards, “A guy that can put the ball in the basket, that you can post, play at the elbows, pass…all of those things and I think he compliments who we have well.” With only 24 games left in the regular season can Greg Monroe carve out a role and help propel this Celtics team to even greater heights? The argument in favor of making a move for Evans or Sweet Lou was that, aside from Kyrie Irving, the Celtics were lacking in shot creators. The numbers seem to bear this out. The Celtics are 10.1 points per 100 possessions better on offense with Kyrie on the court, roughly the difference between the Raptors’ 4th ranked offense and the Kings’ 30th ranked offense. Strictly looking at on-off numbers without lineup context can be misleading but it’s hardly a hot take to say that the offense has crumbled when Irving hits the bench. The Celtics are averaging just under 24 points in 2nd quarters which is the 4th lowest scoring average any team has for a single quarter in the NBA. Can Monroe help fill the void when Kyrie sits? Monroe is no Kyrie but he is a reasonable facsimile of Al Horford on offense and that may be just as important. The Celtics have actually been 3.3 points per 100 possessions better with Horford and no Kyrie than with Kyrie and no Horford. Horford is tasked with a lot of playmaking duties and leads the team in assists per game, something Monroe thinks he should be able to emulate. “It’s all about ball movement and movement without the ball… lot of cutting, making plays from the elbow… stuff that I’ve been comfortable with basically all my life.” He certainly seems comfortable moving the ball as his career AST% of 13.3% ranks 24th all-time for players 6’11” or taller. In addition to his passing, he is an outstanding rebounder. His combination of passing and rebounding is nearly unprecedented. He is one of only four players in NBA history to have an AST% of 13%, DRB% of 23% and ORB% of 11% for their career, alongside Charles Barkley, Joakim Noah and Shaquille O’Neal. He has a unique skillset that aligns with the Celtics’ needs. Monroe said, “[Brad’s] not going to ask me to be nothing else but myself. So just bring all the skillsets I’ve been playing with over the years and add it to this team.” Monroe is only three games into his Celtics’ career but have we seen some of these skills on display yet? His debut did not start exactly as planned. His first shot was forced and barely hit the rim. He followed that up with a technical foul in his 4th minute which has to be close to a record. After that, Greg settled in quite nicely. He displayed a soft touch with his right hand for his first bucket and showcased his passing ability throughout the game with a couple nifty backdoor passes. He had two offensive rebounds and was in position for a couple more but the shot either went in or he was fouled. He was playing so well that Stevens started him in OT despite saying before the game that he wasn’t sure if he would play at all. He finished with 5 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 19 minutes. The following night he played 11 minutes against the Pacers finishing with 2 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist. The Pacers presented a tough matchup for Monroe as Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis are both capable of spreading the floor and forcing the opposing big to defend out to the three-point line which is not his strong suit. Two days later against Cleveland, he had similar struggles defending the pick and roll highlighted by this weak foul on LeBron James. This will be the main question Monroe has to answer as a Celtic – can he defend at a high enough level to have a positive impact on the game? He struggled to defend the PnR in his first few games but that’s not necessarily a reason to worry. He’s new to the team, hadn’t played in over a week, and played three games in four days. Under the circumstances, some rust, fatigue, and communication lapses were understandable. He has always had a reputation as a poor defender but his defensive metrics suggest otherwise. He’s had a positive DBPM every year he’s been in the league and a positive DRPM as far back as the stat is available (2013-14). He’s struggled some this season but who wouldn’t if they had to play for Jason Kidd to start the season only to be traded to the cellar dwelling Suns. He’s not a prototypical rim protector but he’s a great rebounder and has active hands, averaging over 1 steal per game for his career in under 30 mpg. How much Monroe plays moving forward will most likely depend on matchups. On why he played him in his first game, only hours after officially signing, Stevens said, “I just looked at some sub patterns from them and some sub patterns from us.” He is not a seamless fit into any lineup like Horford or even Theis. He will mostly be used when the opposing team is playing a big that does not stretch the floor. If he’s able to hold his own on the defensive end then the Celtics can take advantage of his skills on the other end. Monroe getting minutes means someone else has to lose time. The three likely candidates are Aron Baynes, Daniel Theis and Semi Ojeleye. Until Ojeleye can prove he can shoot in the NBA I’d like to see most of his minutes go to Monroe. Take a couple minutes away from Baynes and Theis and you’re already looking at roughly 20 mpg for Monroe. Even after you’ve allotted him a certain number of minutes you still need to find which lineups to insert him in. Stevens said, “One of the things that you think about in adding Greg is that’s time you don’t have to necessarily stagger Kyrie and Al.” While I’ll leave the lineup management to Brad I hope he at least experiments with playing Monroe alongside Kyrie and Al. Kyrie and Horford already play over 70% of their minutes together. I’d like to see their minutes staggered even more as I don’t think this team will be able to survive stretches in the playoffs with neither of them on the court. The Celtics still have the #1 defense in the league but if they are going to reach their full potential they will need to improve upon their #20 offense. Continued development from players like Tatum, Brown and Rozier would help but the best bet for improvement is utilizing the NBA-proven offensive skills of their new addition, Greg Monroe. If he is able to hold his own defensively, his ability to score, rebound and facilitate for others can provide a much needed spark for a Celtics team starved for offensive production. www.celticshub.com/2018/02/14/can-greg-monroe-save-celtics-2nd-unit/
|
|
|
Post by dfries13 on Feb 15, 2018 22:05:02 GMT -5
Mo* roe gives up a lot. He also gets a lot. He better tha* Bay*es that is obvious.
|
|
|
Post by Cabutan on Feb 26, 2018 15:38:43 GMT -5
The way Monroe is eating the bench, he must be regretting choosing us over the Pelicans.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Feb 27, 2018 0:37:24 GMT -5
Missing Moose: Stevens says Monroe will figure it out soon after DNP-CD vs. GrizzliesBy: Jared Weiss
A prized signing a few weeks ago, Boston Celtics big Greg Monroe got a DNP-CD. But coach Brad Stevens says to hold your moose(s) on freaking out just yet.It’s hard for a Moose to hide in plain sight. But as the clock ticked down and the Celtics closed out what was once a blowout for a 109-98 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, the team’s largest mammal was nowhere to be found. Why didn’t Greg Monroe play Monday night? The answer is as simple as it is complex. “I went into the game with kind of two iterations of a game plan,” Brad Stevens said after the win. “When we went with (Daniel) Theis in that first stint, that team was – we were playing so well, that I just decided not to put him in in that first stint. And by the end, it’s – you know, I had planned on playing him late, but I didn’t want to just throw him in there with a minute left, or whatever the case may be.” The crux of the call came when Boston went to its full second unit and put Daniel Theis at the five next to Marcus Morris, Semi Ojeleye, Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart. They went on a 23-6 run starting in the last first quarter to blow the game open and Stevens just rode the wave. Boston has been trying to figure out a seamless way to integrate Monroe into their offensive scheme. Most of his baskets have come on straight post-ups and some occasional pick-and-roll that has looked completely out of synch. He is still learning their defensive concepts, something he is going to have to get down to take playing time from a red-hot Theis. “He’s still getting to know us; he’s still figuring this out,” Stevens said of Monroe. “We probably threw him to the wolves early and we’ll continue to play him. We have great confidence in him. It’s just a matter of I thought those other guys were playing so well in that first stint.” “Brad is trying to work me in also,” Monroe told the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy after the game. “But he can’t just stop everything they had going just for me. I understand that.” Stevens focused on getting him accustomed and thriving in their defensive scheme. It’s actually been one of the major knocks on Monroe’s game over the years. He was once maligned for his lack of defensive versatility when the pick-and-roll hedging and dropping schemes were en vogue earlier in the decade. He improved his performance in Milwaukee’s blitzing scheme. But Boston tends to either switch ball screens or ice them, two things he’s been having trouble with. Stevens is confident he’ll figure that out soon. “I think he’s going to get more used to the way that we’re trying to play on the defensive end. I think our system is such that it accounts for individual strengths and he’s just going to have to figure out – and kind of be able to see each step of what we’re trying to accomplish against different actions. But he’s really smart. He’s going to figure it out. It’s not – and then it just becomes, you know, we’ve got good players that are there with him, and there will be nights that are his and nights that aren’t, and it’s just part of being part of a good team. “But I appreciate his approach a great deal and I think he’s really going to help us.” celticswire.usatoday.com/2018/02/26/missing-moose-brad-stevens-says-greg-monroe-will-figure-it-out-soon-after-dnp-cd-vs-grizzlies/
Comment: Defensive shortcomings surfaced vs the Knicks > LINK
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 2, 2018 15:33:29 GMT -5
Can Greg Monroe anchor the Celtics’ second unit? By Matt ChinBrad Mills-USA TODAY SportsThe 27-year-old big man was Danny Ainge’s splashy trade deadline acquisition. His back-to-the-basket conventionalism feels like a relic of the past, but Monroe is not your typical post-up big man.... In last night’s contest against the Hornets, Monroe got himself going. To begin the second quarter, Stevens unleashed the newest Celtic while Dwight Howard was on the bench. Monroe proceeded to subjugate the undersized and inexperienced Willy Hernangomez, whose team left him on an island against the Boston newcomer’s overpowering post moves. He went 3-for-3, scoring seven points in the first three minutes of the frame. Realizing the mismatch, the Celtics fed Monroe early in the shot clock, and the lead swelled from four to 10 while he was on the floor. streamable.com/t3g07The Celtics rank 23rd in points per possession off of post-up play types. For basketball’s progressive ideologists, Monroe’s back-to-the-hoop prowess belongs in the 1980s and 1990s. However, there is an argument that post-up heavy players still carry value in today’s pace-and-space centric league. Monroes deft scoring touch and knack for carving out space around the rim are well-documented, but where he separates himself from other big men is his advanced floor awareness and vision. He loves to play bully-ball to get his shots up. Improving the Celtics post-up efficiency can also be achieved by using Monroe to generate quality looks for others. During his 20-game stint with Phoenix, Monroe averaged 3.9 assists per 36 minutes, which was the highest mark of any stint in his career. The Celtics tend to find more success when the ball touches the paint during a given offensive possession. Normally, that occurs in the form of a Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart, or Terry Rozier dribble drive, but dumping the ball into the post can effectively collapse defenders as well, so long as they can read-and-react to distribute out of the post when necessary. Adding Monroe’s low-block efficiency to Brad Stevens’ play-calling arsenal will help to diversify an offense that dearly needed to add some variety before the trade deadline. Serving as a big-man facilitator requires making intelligent and rapid decisions off of the catch, so as to not bog down the pace and offensive flow. Monroe averages 2.07 seconds per post-up touch. By comparison, that’s slightly higher than similarly skilled big men Zach Randolph (2.06 seconds), Dwight Howard (2.0), and Enes Kanter (1.77). Opposing defenders will focus in on Monroe’s isolation scoring game with more attention than they would for Baynes and Theis, and the surveillance that he garners forces eyes onto him and opens up opportunities from teammates. While he probably won’t pile up highlight dimes like Nikola Jokic or Al Horford, Monroe’s vision is an underrated asset that can help to clear up floor space for the other four Celtics on the floor. He has an innate sense to identify where double-teams are coming from and how to exploit creases in opposing defenses. streamable.com/e2obhIn the above clip, Monroe feels the second defender bearing down from behind. He pivots off of the catch because he knows that the wing shooter should be wide open. The decisiveness makes it difficult for the Brooklyn defense to recover. He shows off Horford-level awareness by knowing where his teammates are without looking. As Monroe grows more comfortable within the Celtics’ scheme, his playmaking will become more expeditious. In this next play, watch Monroe get the ball and immediately look over his shoulder turn his to scan and survey the defense behind him. At 6’11’’, he has a beneficial height and length combination which allows him pass over the outstretched arms of a triple-team to find a cutting Jabari Parker. Furnishing these passes with accuracy and zippiness isn’t easy, but Moose does it seamlessly. streamable.com/n54z2These two above plays were improvisational read-and-react plays, and while Boston can’t necessarily plan for Monroe to dispatch these kinds of passes, they should feel comfortable knowing that a quality shot will be generated if he is able to get a touch near the basket. The next two are slightly different. They’re designed off-ball sets tailored to the idea that Monroe’s passing ability can create unguarded looks for teammates, and he engineers with flawless execution. There aren’t many centers who can serve up precise passes to full-speed moving targets, but Monroe does so with simplicity. streamable.com/ljck8streamable.com/0btizIn this second play, can you picture Jayson Tatum or Marcus Morris playing the Jason Terry shooter role off of a flare screen? We’ve already begun to see Brad Stevens start to incorporate Monroe as a facilitator at the top of the key. Check out this inverted set, where the guards are positioned by the block and the bigs are near the perimeter. Watch closely as Monroe craftily takes a small dribble before finding Kyrie Irving. The dribble shortens the distance of the pass. The pass is less likely to get deflected and the ball is in Irving’s hands a split second earlier, thus lowering the odds that the defender blocks the jumper. streamable.com/7eg02Below, Monroe is positioned beyond the three-point line, which is well outside of his scoring comfort zone. However, it causes Cleveland’s Larry Nance Jr. to drift away from the basket, negating any semblance of rim protection. For the Celtics, the key here is that Monroe is able to deliver a pinpoint bounce pass to a curling Semi Ojeleye in stride. streamable.com/p8n4kThe value of Jason Kidd’s tenure in Milwaukee is up for debate, but lost between his underrated decision to yank Monroe from Milwaukee’s starting lineup to turn him into a prolific bench scorer prior to the 2016-2017 season is underrated. Milwaukee finished 7th in second unit offensive rating last year, led primarily by Monroe, who finished inside the top-15 bench scorers on a per-36 minute basis (minimum 30 GP). That’s enough to suggest that—with the right second unit lineup—Monroe can lead the second-unit with his offense. After he formally signed on February 8, the Celtics had four games in seven days, leaving the coaching staff with limited time to plug Moose into their system. Since then, he benefited from a week-long All-Star break to help study the system. Pair that with Stevens’ proven track record of maximizing role player utility, and betting that Monroe will start to look comfortable within the scheme is a solid wager. Running the second unit offense through Monroe could result in a higher percentage of open looks, especially since the group has struggled with shot selection this season. Boston launches the 7th most tightly contested field goal attempts (closest defender 0-2 feet away). By comparison, they were 18th last season. Additionally, they currently rank 20th in potential assist rate after finishing 5th in 2016-17. So despite the fact that they’ve produced early offensive success after the All-Star break, there is still room for improvement, and Monroe could be a nice catalyst off the bench. Rozier, Smart, and Morris should continue to be the primary focal points with the second unit, but deploying some occasional play types that allow Monroe to utilize his distributing aptitude acts as another card that Brad Stevens can deal. Last season was the first time Monroe’s seven-year career that he played in the postseason, and despite his defensive issues, he proved to be a valuable weapon for the Bucks, evidenced by an impressive +15 differential in the series, all while playing 20-plus minutes in every game. A player’s success between October and March doesn’t guarantee that his effectiveness will translate in the postseason, so it’s refreshing to know that Monroe has a track record of being a net-positive in a playoff format. Here is a chart detailing his six-game playoff résumé: The question remains whether Monroe’s offensive utility and rebounding volume will yield a net-positive when offset by his defensive issues. Ordinarily, one-way specialists tend to become obsolete in a postseason format, where opposing coaches have ample planning days to exploit players who are a liability on a certain end of the floor. Monroe, a offensive virtuoso with limited defensive upside falls into that category. While his small-sample playoff success may put some cynics at ease, it’s fair to question how effective he can be if coaches zero in on his lack of agility, especially as postseason game plans become magnified and dissectible. According to Synergy Sports tracking statistics from the 2016-17 season, Monroe actually graded out positively (78 percentile) when defending pick-and-roll ball handlers, but negatively against P&R rollers (24th percentile). Those metrics have dropped this season, to the 40th and 22nd percentiles, respectively, albeit while playing in indeterminate roles spread between Milwaukee, Phoenix, and Boston. Whether the Celtics are willing to run portions their second unit offense through the veteran big man remains unclear, but giving him the latitude to make decisions in the low block and high-post position seemed to work for the Bucks. Boston has 20 more games to experiment. www.celticsblog.com/2018/3/1/16967120/is-greg-monroes-passing-an-untapped-commodity-boston-celtics-nba
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 2, 2018 16:26:55 GMT -5
With first big minutes, Greg Monroe shows what he can doMark Murphy Credit: Matt Stone
Last night, seven games into the center’s new life as a Celtic, they now have a better idea of what he can do for them. Monroe scored all 14 of his points in the paint on 6-for-9 shooting in the C’s 134-106 win over Charlotte, including the team’s first three possessions in the second quarter when Monroe successfully posted up each time against the Hornets’ Willy Hernangomez. “I feel like I got into a pretty good rhythm. Coach (Brad Stevens) went to me and I tried to be aggressive,” he said. “He said take your time, get your legs back under you, and tonight I got into a good rhythm that made me more comfortable. Pretty decent game. “It was fun. I know these fans expect the team to play at a high level, and like I’ve been saying, I just want to come in and enhance what they’ve already got going,” Monroe continued. “It’s been tough for me getting into a rhythm, especially with the situation this year, but it felt good to be out there in the flow of the game, and just be as effective as possible.” After not making it off the bench during Monday’s win over Memphis, Monroe showed up for an informal, intense workout on Tuesday with two of his rookie teammates — Semi Ojeleye and Abdel Nader. “Just trying to get into a rhythm, get up to game speed, so I worked with couple of young guys, quicker players,” he said. www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2018/03/celtics_notebook_with_first_big_minutes_greg_monroe_shows_what_he_can_do
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 2, 2018 16:32:26 GMT -5
Monroe shows Celtics his value, different offensive looks in performance vs. Charlotte
By Tom WesterholmBOSTON -- The Boston Celtics might not always be able to find minutes for Greg Monroe, and the big man is ready for that contingency. "These guys were rolling before I got here," Monroe said before Wednesday's game against the Charlotte Hornets. "I don't expect anything to stop because of me. Nothing can really surprise me right now." But some nights, everything will come together. Some nights, the Celtics will be down a rotation big man, and the opposition will play a player like Willy Hernangomez significant minutes. On those nights, the Celtics will need exactly what Monroe gave them on Wednesday. In easily his best game since joining the team, Monroe dropped 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting. He was +13 in his 21 minutes and gave the Celtics a new look they aren't always used to having: Isolation post-ups. "We didn't have a ton of post actions in prior to him arriving," Stevens said. "We'll post some, but now obviously in the second unit, if (Monroe) is being guarded by a back-up center we'll look to do that more." For the Hornets, the back-up center who drew the Monroe assignment in the second quarter was Hernangomez, a 23-year-old big who was traded to Charlotte from the New York Knicks before the deadline. Matched with the Spanish center, Monroe immediately took him into the paint with 11:22 remaining in the first half and bashed his way to the basket for a layup. On the next possession, the Celtics ran the exact same action, clearing the floor for Monroe, who went directly through Hernangomez again for a layup plus the foul. On the next possession, the Celtics did the same thing once more, and once again, Hernangomez had no answer for Monroe. For Monroe, whose first few games in a Celtics uniform were frustrating, his performance on Wednesday was satisfying. "I feel like I got into a pretty good rhythm," Monroe said. "Coach went to me, and I tried to be aggressive. He said, 'Take your time, get your legs back under you,' and tonight I got into a good rhythm that made me more comfortable. Pretty decent game." The Celtics utilized Monroe in sets other than isolation post-ups as well. He operated out of the high post and ran dribble hand-off sets with Boston's guards, setting solid screens and rolling to the basket. But where the Celtics most wanted to see improvements from Monroe were on the defensive end. He isn't particularly fleet-footed, and that shows especially in Boston's pick-and-roll coverage. The Celtics don't need Monroe to be a All-Defense First-Team player. They just need him to understand the system and play within it (as well as grab some rebounds), and before the game Stevens said he expects Monroe will catch on quickly. Still, Monroe admitted new defensive systems can be difficult to master. "That's the thing that probably varies the most when you switch teams," Monroe said. "Coverages, calls, stuff like that. I think I'm adjusting pretty well. Obviously, I'm not all the way caught up but I'm feeling better out there on the defensive end." For the Celtics, those adjustments -- along with the post-up opportunities Monroe provides -- are all they really need. Monroe is just trying to enhance the team, not change it. "I know these fans expect the team to play at a high level, and like I've been saying, I just want to come in and enhance what they've already got going," Monroe said. "It's been tough for me getting into a rhythm, especially with the situation this year, but it felt good to be out there in the flow of the game, and just be as effective as possible." www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2018/03/greg_monroe_shows_boston_celti.html#incart_river_index
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Apr 7, 2018 18:59:09 GMT -5
Greg Monroe and the Most Unlikely Triple Doubleby Joshua BatemanGreg Monroe gave the Boston Celtics one of the most special performances of the season with triple double against the BullsThe Boston Celtics are were officially set in stone as the number two seed, so they decided to rest both Jayson Tatum and Al Horford in a meaningless game against the Chicago Bulls. The Celtics are clearly gearing up to make sure everything is focused on the playoffs, but do not tell that to the players on the court. They got another improbable victory, although it was against a bottom dwelling tanking team this time. In that win, we got a career night from Jaylen Brown, who was handed the keys to the team with 32 points and seven three pointers, Jonathan Gibson brought a great spark in his debut, and we got the single most unlikely stat line of the season, with Greg Monroe coming off the bench and notching a triple double.Yes, that is a backup center, with a skill set that limits him almost exclusively to the paint, getting a triple double, not with blocks but with assists. Monroe is the first center to record a triple double for the Celtics since Robert Parish, but there is no doubt that this was the most unlikely one we have seen in the history of the franchise, and maybe beyond that. Monroe was brought in to be a tough rebounder who could do some damage in the paint, they never expected him to have the kind of versatile impact that is usually reserved for Horford on this roster. It appears as though Brad Stevens might be onto something with these bigs that can pass, because Monroe was able to instigate and looked as comfortable as possible, despite being a part of a roster that has G Leaguers and someone debuting from China. Even in the most meaningless game of the season, the Celtics still managed to make it exciting, and the excitement for the first round has somehow continues to grow. Monroe is making it clear that he can be an integral part of this team, and he is going to do anything that is needed.Monroe looked like the kind of player that would be completely locked into his role. He is a veteran, who knows what he can do and how to do it. This [k]ind of triple double has never even been close to his radar, but I guess that is what happens when Stevens gets his hands on you and unleashes a new role. In his entire career, Monroe has never averaged more than 3.5 assists, and has a career average of 2.3. He has never been an instigator with his passing, and the moment Stevens asked him to take on that role in place of a resting Horford, he responded with one of the most remarkable stat lines you will ever see.Time and time again Stevens works magic with whatever players are on the court, but this game brought it to another level. Decimated by injuries, with two top players resting, he still got the absolute best out of everyone, and saw a career night from the two most prominent players in that game. Once Horford is back, Stevens will never ask Monroe to play this [k]ind of role again, but this is still another reason to get excited about the playoffs. Monroe might end up being the biggest beneficiary of these injuries, because he is going to be one of the most important players coming off the bench, that will leave his mark on every single game. If Stevens believes that Monroe can keep up this kind of distribution, it could transform what the bench is able to do. We know that Terry Rozier is going to be leading the starting unit the rest of the way, but so much offense is still going to be generated through Horford’s facilitating.If Monroe can bring that same kind of facilitation from the same position but coming off the bench, the Celtics will have something that no team is prepared for, because Monroe dishing out assists like this and having this kind of a complete game is not something anyone will be prepared for. hardwoodhoudini.com/2018/04/07/greg-monroe-and-the-weirdest-triple-double-wver/
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Apr 7, 2018 19:04:28 GMT -5
Monroe Emerging as Another Playmaking Option for Frontcourt By Taylor Snow Celtics.com April 7, 2018WALTHAM, Mass. – Dressed in street clothes on the TD Garden sideline Friday night, a resting Al Horford watched in admiration as Greg Monroe stepped into his shoes and filled in as Boston’s go-to playmaker against the Chicago Bulls. Monroe used Horford’s absence as an opportunity to showcase his passing skills with the Celtics running their offense through him for a good portion of the game. Playing a point-center role, he dished out a season-high 10 assists, to go along with 19 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Celtics to a 111-104 win over the Bulls. It’s not unusual for Monroe to put up large numbers in the scoring and rebounding departments, but what caught Horford’s eye was his frontcourt mate’s passing numbers. Monroe’s previous game-high assist total with the Celtics was four, but on this occasion, he took his playmaking game to another level. “There’s no question Greg has that ability,” Horford reflected Saturday afternoon following Celtics practice in Waltham, Massachusetts. “Since the day that he came here, we all knew that he can really pass the ball, really read defenses well. And what Chicago did last night was try to take Terry (Rozier) away by putting pressure on him, and Greg just made the right play, the right decision, every time.” Sounds like the playmaking IQ of another Celtics big man, doesn’t it?The performance indeed displayed many similarities between Monroe and Horford, as Celtics coach Brad Stevens noted Saturday afternoon. “They’re both willing to share it, they move the ball quickly, and they’re both very good in the seams catching and passing,” said Stevens. “I’m sure Monroe was this good of a passer when he was coming out of high school, but probably playing at Georgetown in the Princeton system with all the back-cuts was probably really helpful. He’s a great backcourt passer and he can really thread the needle.” Monroe’s 10 assists Friday night led to 25 points for the Celtics. Add that to the 19 points he scored himself, and that amounts to a total of 44 points that he helped create during just 28 minutes of play.
Monroe took greater pride in this effort than any previous performance in a Celtics uniform because it perfectly displayed how well-rounded his game truly is. “I think people can see that I’m a good passer,” said Monroe, who became the first reserve center in NBA history to tally a triple-double on points, rebounds and assists. “That’s something I’ve always taken pride in and something I like doing. It energizes guys when the ball is moving, if you’re making the right play no matter who it is, getting easy buckets, it’s just great for the team in general.” It's also extremely valuable for the team to have an extra playmaking big heading into the postseason. “With a guy like (Daniel) Theis out, having a guy like Greg really helps to run the offense through not only me, but also him, and be able to make those passes,” said Horford. Now, the Celtics have the option of Horford running the offense in the first unit, while Monroe runs it in the second unit. Of course, Boston’s guards will continue to have responsibilities in ball-handling roles as well, but it’s a great asset to have multiple playmaking bigs that can be staggered or play at the same time. Monroe has been taking on more and more of a ball-handling role over the past week, seeing time running the point during each of the last three games. Expect this trend to continue heading into the Playoffs, where the Celtics will likely utilize the playmaking skills of both of their veteran big men in order to keep opposing defenses on their toes at all times. www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/prac-040718-monroe-emerging-another-playmaking-option-celtics-frontcourt?sf186482197=1
|
|