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Boston Celtics Reportedly In the Mix for Greg Monroe

By Timmy Sclafani

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Reports are surfacing citing “strong speculation” that Greg Monroe will sign with either the Boston Celtics or the New York Knicks. Monroe might not be the top target for the Celtics this offseason, but he would certainly be a good acquisition.

Monroe’s contract expires this summer with the Detroit Pistons, and Detroit hardly seems likely to resign him considering their recent acquisition of Ersan Ilyasova. Monroe will be an unrestricted free agent in just a couple of weeks, and apparently has already narrowed his list down to the two east coast teams.

At just 25 years of age, the Celtics could acquire Greg Monroe and continue to develop him, along with the rest of the team, while they add pieces over the next couple of years. I prefer the approach of getting a young center like Monroe, rather than an older center who puts the Celtics in more of a “win-now” position.

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    • Statistically, Monroe looks like he could solve a lot of Boston’s problems. At 6’11”, 250 pounds, Monroe is a true big man, something that the Celtics currently lack. In his career year last year, he averaged 15.9 points per game and 10.2 rebounds. Not to mention he put up those stats while playing 40 percent of his minutes at the power forward position, leaving the center spot to Andre Drummond.

    Monroe has a slew of offensive moves and is a true threat in the paint. On top of that, Monroe is a decent passer, averaging 2.1 assists per game last year. This should make him even more appealing to Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens.

    The big concern with Monroe is his defensive ability. He averaged 0.5 blocks per game last year, and posted a 103 defensive rating. The important thing to remember, however, is that Monroe was frequently forced to play the power forward position, therefore covering smaller, faster players than he would at the center position. For this reason, I think Monroe would play better defense in Boston than he was in Detroit.

    Since Monroe routinely plays a little over 30 minutes, approximately 10 more minutes per game than Tyler Zeller or Kelly Olynyk, it’s easier to compare them by per 36 minutes stats. All three players shoot with roughly the same frequency, all between 12 and 15 times per 36 minutes. Of those shots, Monroe is in the middle of the two players in shooting percentage at 49 percent.

    Mar 8, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Greg Monroe (10) is defended by Charlotte Hornets center Al Jefferson (25) in the first quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

    While Zeller and Olynyk average 9.7 and 7.7 rebounds per 36 minutes respectively, Monroe averages 11.9. Almost a third of those rebounds come on the offensive end of the court, which is another area where the current Celtics roster is lacking. Lastly, Monroe averages the most points of the three players at 18.5 points per 36 minutes.

    In other words, Monroe would be an upgrade over the Celtics current centers. Not only would he improve the team at that position, but the addition would allow Kelly Olynyk to move to his native power forward position. With Olynyk at the 4, there would be better floor spacing for the Celtics guards and for Monroe underneath the hoop.

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    Here’s the catch; Monroe is reportedly looking to sign a max contract. Similar to other potential Celtics targets Khris Middleton and Tobias Harris, none of the three have really proven themselves as max players YET. Its important to remember though that after next season the salary cap will increase significantly, making a max contract in 2015 much cheaper proportionally than a max contract in 2016.

    I think Monroe is worth the gamble. While playing out of position in Detroit he was still able to display his surplus of offensive talent. This would only improve with the paint belonging to Monroe in Boston, rather than splitting it with Andre Drummond in Detroit. Monroe hasn’t shown much ability on defense in his career so far, but he has also spent much of it playing out of position and covering players who are faster than he is.

    If Ainge and Stevens believe they can utilize Monroe’s strengths and aid his weaknesses, then I think he is worth the money. Having a true big man, and one with such offensive skill, would have an immediate impact on the Boston Celtics.

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