Where will Greg go?

[hoyaboy1]

Randolph is already a very good rebounder and shot blocker, but he doesn't have much range. He's a PF - you put him outside and you are losing his two best skills.

Sacramento is also pretty set at PF (Landry and Thompson), so I wonder if they see Greg as a center.

[DanMcQ]

Jun 22, 2010 17:26:20 GMT -5 kchoya said:

Jun 22, 2010 16:25:50 GMT -5 DanMcQ said:

Marty Blake's assessment in this NOLA.com article:

www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/06/greg_monroe_among_best_power_f.html

All I see is Ryan Blake.

;D

Brain Fart.

[MCIGuy]

I hear you, RB. But the “buzz” surrounding Randolph was strong last summer too when he was putting up unreal numbers in the summer league and people were predicting a star turn for him during the 2009-2010 season. It didn’t pan out. Maybe it will but why give Randolph the benefit of the doubt? I know some Hoya fans still ache over Randolph not choosing Gtown and think he could have led the Hoyas to a championship or a Final Four. But Randolph accomplished nothing while at LSU and I don’t get the love for this guy. If he is ever going to be special he’s going have to refine his skills enough to play SF. Yes, Nellie loves small ball (which may end up being why he loses his job in a year or so). However Randolph cannot be the starting PF for a truly successful team. He is too thin. If he was as tall as Camby and had shown, in college, that he was a willing and effective defender in the paint against college centers then maybe I would be more convinced about his viability as a PF in the NBA. But I don’t think he can defend PFs, even in this era of more perimeter 4s. Trust me if he could the Warriors would use him more because the brass do believe in his talent. Yet he strikes me as one of those guys that’s without a true position (at least until he can get good enough to play the SF position). I could be wrong about this of course but that’s how I view the situation.

And lets stop even mentioning Brandon Wright’s name? He’s about to enter his fourth season and hasn’t done anything. All the upside talk is just talk until he actually demonstrates quality play on a consistent basis.

I also get where you’re coming from about Monroe possibly dropping. That would be a sure thing if The People were making the decisions based upon what I’ve read on message boards. You know how in politics a perception of a politician can become so widespread and so championed that it overshadows the truth or it at least dismisses the notion of more even-handed objectivity? Well, that is what’s happening on basketball boards regarding Greg. I give you an example. On one forum some know-it-all basketball fan said Greg was as slow as Roy Hibbert! Now, folks know I love Roy. And it annoys me that while folks on message boards speak glowingly of a non-productive chump like Brandon Wright simply because he possesses the athletic ability that makes them weak at the knees, these same folks will overlook Roy performing above expectation and his continued improvement because they can’t get past their perception of his limited athletic ability. And nevermind that “slow” Roy looks pretty impressive moving up and down the court I the much faster NBA (except for those times in which he tires). Anyone who saw Roy’s final game this season in Washington against the Wizards in which he beat smaller and supposedly quicker big men up and down the floor, could never imagine him doing such a thing when he was strolling (to be kind) across the court back in his high school days and in his early years at GU. So that whole slow thing is a tad overblown.

Now with that being said there is no way that if you watched Hoya games over the past six seasons that anyone in their right mind could suggest that Greg was moving at the same speed as Roy. That’s pure bs. Greg kills Roy in terms of speed probably right now and certainly was more impressive on that front when you compare how they both looked while at Georgetown. In terms of getting up and down the floor quickly and being able to sustain that speed for long stretches, Greg wins by a mile over Roy. I terms of moving his feet and quickly and getting out on the perimeter to guard smaller players, Greg is also the clear winner. So any comment about Greg being as slow as Roy is nothing short of message board character assassination.

Unfortunately there seems to be a lot of that going on regarding Greg. He is not only slow and frighteningly unathletic (give me a break), he is also slow and weak and disinterested, blah, blah, blah. Here’s a guy who battled in arguably the roughest conference in the nation and put up better numbers (and I’m not talking about assists) than all the big men expected to go in the in the first half of the first round of this year’s draft, and yet somehow he isn’t tough enough or interested enough? One can knock Roy’s rebounding numbers coming out of college but one cannot knock Greg’s. And I must point out that even though Greg was just the second leading scorer of this past season’s Hoya team, his scoring average was still better than any of those by Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert and DaJuan Summers when they led Gtown in points per game. Plus despite Greg’s ability to play out on the perimeter the vast majority of his scoring still came in the paint even despite the fact that his right hand is relatively weak and that he still misses his share of easy shots. And when you throw in assists, blocks and steals Greg has the potential to be one of those across the board stat stuffers that roto geeks love and NBA coaches appreciate.

Nonetheless NBA fans don’t think he is good enough for their teams. Sacramento King fans are claiming that they are happy that NBA draft mock sites are finally understanding that it was a “reach” to suggest the Kings would draft Greg at #5. Golden State fans are hoping Cousins fall down to them.. Pacers’ fans think Udoh may be the better option and now Jazz fans are hoping they can move up to get Cousins or favors. It doesn’t eve matter to some Jazz fans that Cousins refused to work out for Utah and would seem to be perhaps a bad fit for Salt Lake.

I understand the appreciation for Cousins. Even though there’s a good chance he will be a cancer in the locker room as well s undisciplined and combative with his team’s officials and coaches, you can see the potential of him being a dominant center. I get that. Despite Greg being taller than Cousins, I don’t see Greg being a legit five in the NBA. Never did. Always felt he was a four. But people need to quit calling Cousins a 7 foot center when the dude measured at 6’9.5 without shoes in Chicago. And as for favors, well, what has he done? He is probably the most raw of all the elite big men in this draft and there is no guarantee he will ever be more than someone whose offense is anything more than the putback dunk. Oh, and he measured in at 6’8 and change in Chicago. With Greg you have a big man who is so skilled and can do so many things. He has his flaws one of course being his lack of elite athleticism but what fans don’t seem to appreciate is that this is the most skilled big man to come around I some years. Big men like him are much more rare than the run and jump big guys that come into the NBA every year (most of whom don’t amount to much). Where are the true basketball fans out there to truly appreciate basketball IQ, tremendous skills and an incredibly well-rounded game? Are folks only impressed with those who dunk on every basket while scowling?

Thing is no is guaranteed to be great from this draft. Not Greg. Not Cousins, Favors or Johnson. Not even John Wall. Every year fans, media folks and NBA scouts claim that certain players are going to be better than other players, and every year they end up being wrong on a few of their predictions. Yet each time the draft approaches they seem to forget this and act as if their opinion in infallible. I hope Greg ends up in a good spot for him and I hope he proves these “experts” wrong.

[MCIGuy]

Jun 22, 2010 21:18:30 GMT -5 hoyaboy1 said:

Randolph is already a very good rebounder and shot blocker, but he doesn't have much range. He's a PF - you put him outside and you are losing his two best skills.

Problem is he gets pushed around by NBA power forwards. This sis why GS fans want someone stronger at the position. That's why I think Randolph would be better served working on his perimeter skills. If he can't play PF for Nellie's uptempo, small teams than which team can he play PF for?

[HoyaSinceBirth]

I honestly could see cousins eating himself out of the league in a couple of years ala sweetney. His conditioning could end up being a real problem now that he won't be being watched everyday.

[MCIGuy]

www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2010/06/georgetown_product_greg_monroe.html

This is likely another smokescreen but the Nets are now claiming they are considering Greg. Greg would be a perfect next to Lopez but I just don't see it happening even if the Nets actually felt Monroe was the best player. There isn't enough love of Greg from the public to give the Nets the leeway to draft Greg at #3 (they would have to trade down). However their concerns regarding Favors and Cousins are right on the money. Something tells me Johnson could be the one they take and that would screw everything up for Minnesota.

And call me crazy but if Dominique Jones ends up getting drafted in the first round then I'm liking Austin's chances for that same honor next season in what should be a weaker draft. Yes, Austin would have the diabetes diagnosis and, even worse, the dreaded label of a "senior" college player going against him, but I like Austin's skills (particularly shooting) better than I do Jones'.

[HoyaSinceBirth]

Any chance the nets trade down to pick greg?

[SFHoya99]

Consensus out here (Oakland) seems to be that if Cousins is there, the Warriors will select him. If not, it's Monroe with an outside chance at Udoh. Udoh is the classic overthinking pick -- the dude simply isn't that good.

While Don Nelson is not exactly a lover of young players, Greg's personality, team play and work ethic are going to endear him a la Stephen Curry. Nelson may have argued with Webber and benched Brandon Wright and Anthony Randolph, but all of them have some level of maturity issues (or had, in Webber's case). Randolph is a freaking black hole and Brandon Wright is still lost out there.

It's not like there's a bunch of NBA coaches out there looking to play unprepared, one or two dimensional players who don't listen to coaching. Nellie's closer to Larry Brown, of course, but he's not Larry.

[RBHoya]

My bad rooter, I thought you were saying I compared Randolph's game to Greg's.

Latest buzz seems to have Johnson going at 3 to the Nets. At that point I think the 4 spot gets interesting, since I'm not sure the Wolves will want to go with Favors unless they have a deal lined up for Jefferson or Love. Or you may see them try to move down a few picks, if somebody makes them a decent offer for #4. In the end the first 5 picks may still be the same (Wall, Turner, Johnson, Favors, Cousins) in some order, but I have to think there is an outside chance the Wolves look at somebody like Aminu, which would push all the big guys down a slot further.

Also, any chance the Warriors moved Maggette yesterday with an eye toward bringing in Aminu? Probably not, but something else to think about. Think #6 to the Warriors is probably the most likely right now, and if that doesn't happen, probably 7 to the Pistons (which I don't want to see).

[hoyarooter]

MCI, David Falk should hire you to be his assistant. Good stuff.

[SFHoya99]

BTW, Draft talk in general, but reading the NBA boards... fans are crazy. I really think they don't watch anyone actually play, just read Chad Ford and Draft Express, etc.

I'm sorry, but I don't see this crazy upside with DeMarcus Cousins. People are talking about him as if he's Dwight Howard. He's not 7' or much of a defender or worker, so he's not going to be an Andrew Bynum, etc. I mean, isn't his upside Zach Randolph? A good fantasy player but not exactly a guy who wins you anything?

Add the special brand of ass that he is (actually no showing for interviews and workouts without any communication, for example) and why is there internet lust for this guy?

At least Derrick Favors is an above average athlete and isn't already a problem child.

[newporthoya]

SF, I am convinced that most posters are between the ages of 12 and 16........... but in response to Cousins. He can flat out score in the paint and it isnt just him overpowering people. The kid has excellent footwork and probably the best post moves of all of the PF/C coming out..... Im not sure about Favors. I think he was caught in a situation like Greg's freshman year. When he allowed DaJuan to run the show because he was the upper classman. It wasnt until the end of the year when Favors started to really attempt to take over games. He allowed Shumpert and Lawal to dictate a little to much early in the year. The ACC tourney was his coming out party.

[newporthoya]

Also I want to say that Detroit would not be such a bad place for Greg to land. The Pistons played almost 30 gms without Tay, Rip, Gordon, and Stuckey. When they played at full strenght, the Pistons were very competitive. Im baised but I think Greg is the missing link to a PO team in Detroit................just my opinion..........lol

[SFHoya99]

Jun 23, 2010 12:51:36 GMT -5 newporthoya said:

SF, I am convinced that most posters are between the ages of 12 and 16........... but in response to Cousins. He can flat out score in the paint and it isnt just him overpowering people. The kid has excellent footwork and probably the best post moves of all of the PF/C coming out..... Im not sure about Favors. I think he was caught in a situation like Greg's freshman year. When he allowed DaJuan to run the show because he was the upper classman. It wasnt until the end of the year when Favors started to really attempt to take over games. He allowed Shumpert and Lawal to dictate a little to much early in the year. The ACC tourney was his coming out party.

Cousins has fantastic post moves, but a lot of his points were overpowering smaller people. I'm not saying he won't score in the pros -- he will -- but his upside is nowhere near what people are saying. He's not a freak athlete. He's not a strong defender. He's actually not a great rebounder for his size.

Players like him tend to be numbers guys who never seem to win. He have to do something other than score, and especially so if you really aren't an elite scorer -- and Cousins won't be.

Now factor in that before the kid plays one minute in the NBA, he's blowing off workouts and interviews -- not strategically declining them but simply not showing. He has a history of being a problem child.

You're trying to win games. Compare him to Michael Beasley -- who had less apparent issues, was a better college player, a more well-rounded game and was much athletic -- and how his career has gone. Beasley was absolutely worth the risk -- but is Cousins? Eddy Curry was worth the risk -- he's 7'+. Ron Artest was worth the risk -- as a youngster one of the most athletic guys in the NBA and he loved defense even at SJU. Lamar Odom.

Zach Randolph? Eh. I'm not even saying this in the context of a Greg fan. I'm no huge Favors fan, but at least there's actual athletic upside there. You can teach low post moves.

[HeartAttackHoya]

One thing Cousins has that niether Randolph or Beasley have is passion. He is a warrior on the court and an emotional leader. Off the court, the kid, according to some, has some maturing to do, agreed, but he has some Patrick Ewing Jr in him. Id love to have the kid on my team.

[SFHoya99]

Beasley was relentless in college. I don't remember Randolph, but a lot of guys lose that passion at pay day.

I'm not saying Cousins won't be good. I'm saying his upside is being wildly overstated, and once you factor in the risk, well, I wouldn't draft him as early as others.

[MCIGuy]

Seriously I can't tell where the wind is blowing regarding Greg.

www.nba.com/2010/news/features/scott_howard_cooper/06/23/draft.notes/

Excerpt:

Such a standing would have zero actual impact -- for New Jersey or any club -- but it is a noteworthy assessment of Monroe's rising stock at a critical stage of the process. Several executives who said that the Georgetown power forward would not be third on their board agreed a lot of pro-Monroe buzz has developed in recent days.

"I hear a lot of that," one general manager said. "I don't know how much validity there is to it, but I hear a lot of that."

Monroe is hardly coming from a long way down -- he was considered a potential lottery pick the entire season and came out of 2009-10 likely bound for the top 10. But he has firmed up his standing since the physical at the pre-Draft combine in Chicago in May and subsequent individual workouts.

"He's a legit 6-11 with skill," one executive said. "You can play him a couple spots, the high post or power forward ... Golden State, they'd really like to get him. They're saying he had a bad workout because they really want him to be there at six."

[kchoya]

Jun 23, 2010 16:29:27 GMT -5 HeartAttackHoya said:

On Off the court, the kid, according to some, has some maturing to do, agreed, but he has some Patrick Ewing Jr in him. Id love to have the kid on my team.

Fixed.

[kchoya]

Nice tie:

www.fanfeedr.com/ncaa-basketball/2010/06/23/georgetowns-greg-monroe-speaks-to-reporters-during-the-2010-nba-

Greg at #3???

www.nba.com/2010/news/features/scott_howard_cooper/06/23/draft.notes/index.html

[hoyarooter]

I've heard people say Cousins remind them of Shaq. He won't be another Shaq.