In the Spotlight: Greg Monroe

Greg Monroe
Position: Center
Ht: 6-11, Wt: 250
Hometown: New Orleans, LA
College: Georgetown
Class: Freshman
Age: 06/04/90

Strengths

• Plays well within the team concept / flow of offense.
• Good touch from the outside, with range that extends to 17 feet.
• Great Passer from the high post
• Comfortable facing the basket – Has the package (passes, shoots, cuts)
• Understands how to play pick and roll basketball.
• Soft Hands
• Pretty lefty jump hook which is his go to move, when he gets the ball in the post.
• Runs the floor well
• Mature beyond his years… Appears to be very coachable.
• Defensively, he shows well on the pick and roll… He understands how to hedge out to prevent penetration.
• Defensive Presence – blocks / contests shots
  

Weaknesses

• Very methodical, slow developing jumper
• Not very explosive / quick
• Needs to get stronger / improve his upper body strength
• Heavily favors going left… When he puts the ball on the floor – it’s left.
• More adept when facing the basket… Needs to develop his post up game.
• Can go through stretches in which he’s not involved in the offensive flow… Needs to maintain his focus and intensity.
  

Overall

At only 18, Greg Monroe is a very complete ball player. He plays well within the team concept, he’s versatile, and he’s most dangerous with the ball in his hands at the high post. When facing the basket Monroe makes smart decisions, as he has the complete package, in that he can take his man off the dribble (going left), shoot from about 17 feet and in (although slow release), and he’s a very good passer for a big.

There’s a lot to like about Monroe’s immediate impact on the college basketball level, but his game relies more on fundamentals than athleticism, so he’s a player that would benefit by staying in college for at least 2 years. This will allow him to continue working on improving his strength, particularly upper body, as well as his ability use his right hand, both in the post and dribbling right. Lastly, his jumper is very advanced for a 6’11 freshman, but he can still improve his consistency from the outside, which will make him a very tough guard at the 4 or 5.

Overall, I can see Monroe developing into a solid contributor for a team at the NBA level, but definitely not an All-Star caliber player. If he comes out, I’d consider Greg Monroe around the #17 – 25 pick.