NBA Hoyas

[SirSaxa]

Jan 17, 2011 18:13:01 GMT -5 bmartin said:

16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals for Monroe in win over Mavs.
7 straight double figure games. First 3 game win streak of season for Pistons.

So why did he spend so much time riding the pine early in the season?
FOUR steals? WOW!

[Nevada Hoya]

Yes, he has been playing 30+ minutes a game recently.

[Nevada Hoya]

From the Pistons' official site:

ROOKIE WATCH: After a slow start to his season, Detroit's Greg Monroe has found his stride, recording double-doubles in his last four games coming into the matchup with Toronto. While he did not make it five straight double-doubles on Friday night, he did put in another solid effort, finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds in almost 38 minutes of action.

After the game, John Kuester had a lot of praise for his rookie, saying, "One of the things that people are underestimating is his ability to guard a number of players, not only fours, threes and fives. So, he's really been very versatile in his ability to move his feet quickly ... I think he really benefited from being around Ben Wallace."

[DanMcQ]

This has not hurt Greg's court time:

"Detroit center Ben Wallace sat out with a left ankle injury."

[blueandgray]

monroe led the team with 41 minutes of playing time.

[jester]

Jeff Green struggles versus the Lakers. Thunder (at this pt) are a 2man show, and need JG (well, and anyone else) to hit the three, which he isnt doing all season. He adds spacing and experience, but I guess OKC could use a (good version) Rashard Lewis or someone...maybe switch RL to OKC and send JG to wizards. More likely they don't move him and JG goes somewhere else as free agent, although at this pt with his stats they can prob afford to bring him back anyway.

[nychoya3]

Greg is getting a steal a game in about 20 minutes of action. No way he can keep that up, but it demonstrates some really good hands and anticipation from the big guy. He's coming on and establishing himself a bit right now. I think by the end of the year he'll be thought of as one of the brightest prospects to come out of this draft, after the Griffin/Wall duo.

[jester]

Well Griffen was in the other draft...Landry Fields has played more consistent (than even Wall), but prospect wise perhaps you are right Monroe is still young and can develop more.

[seaweed]

Jan 17, 2011 18:50:16 GMT -5 bmartin said:

Monroe steal and dunk highlight:
www.nba.com/video/games/pistons/2011/01/17/0021000604_dal_det_play6.nba/index.html

Cahill calls that a foul every time, a technical if the game is at Camoron.

[bmartin]

Monroe had 13 points, 9 rebounds in Pistons' 86-82 loss at Boston. Greg was 5/5 fg, 3/5 ft.

Game was tied at 78, Monroe scored on pick and roll, then hacked Shaq who missed both ft, then Monroe scored again on a pick and roll for an 82-78 lead.

Then the other Pistons missed their last 7 shots of the game. Ray Allen hit a long jumper to give Boston the lead with 24 seconds left.

In the 10 games Monroe played 30+ minutes, he averages 12.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.1 steals. His full season per game averages are 6.5 points, 5.9 rebounds.

[hoyarooter]

Jan 20, 2011 9:34:15 GMT -5 bmartin said:

Monroe had 13 points, 9 rebounds in Pistons' 86-82 loss at Boston. Greg was 5/5 fg, 3/5 ft.

Game was tied at 78, Monroe scored on pick and roll, then hacked Shaq who missed both ft, then Monroe scored again on a pick and roll for an 82-78 lead.

Then the other Pistons missed their last 7 shots of the game. Ray Allen hit a long jumper to give Boston the lead with 24 seconds left.

In the 10 games Monroe played 30+ minutes, he averages 12.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.1 steals. His full season per game averages are 6.5 points, 5.9 rebounds.

Rock solid numbers as a starter. I wonder what the chances are of Greg being chosen for the rookie/2d year game on All-Star Weekend. That game is still part of the program, isn't it?

[DanMcQ]

Another feather in Jim O'Brien's genius cap: his Pacers were leading at Portland last night so never one to leave well enough alone he sits Roy in the 4th quarter to 'go small' whereupon the Blazers blow by the Pacers and wingoing away.

[joey0403p]

Larry Bird is a smart guy - why doesn't he make a change in the head coaching position? The pacers have decent parts - but O'Brien doesn't seem to be getting the most out of them. Too bad - maybe roy will leave in free agency his next chance.

[FrazierFanatic]

Maybe Bird is waiting for someone in particular to become available before axing O'Brien. Hopefully Roy will still be around when that happens, or if not, he will go to a team that knows how to use him.

[superan]

When does Roy get out of his contract?

[SFHoya99]

O'Brien is in the last year of his contract. Rumor has it they don't like anyone on his staff for interim. The GM may get axed, especially with Kevin Pritchard out there available.

[kchoya]

A blurb from ESPN with some love for Greg:

This year's crop of rookies has been a bust thus far. Aside from Blake Griffin and John Wall, and second-round surprise Landry Fields, first-year players have provided relatively little production for their teams. It may be time to add Greg Monroe to that list of exceptions. The Detroit center has stepped up as a starter in the month of January, moving up to fourth among rookies in estimated wins added, John Hollinger's measure of player value. He's fifth in Basketball Prospectus' wins above replacement player, trailing the aforementioned three players and Al-Farouq Aminu of the Los Angeles Clippers.

During the month, Monroe has averaged 10.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. His performance was highlighted by four consecutive double-doubles. Monroe benefited from additional playing time with Ben Wallace sidelined by an ankle injury, averaging 33.9 minutes per game after playing just 19.3 minutes a night during November and December. Even accounting for the playing time, however, Monroe has been more effective as he adjusts to the NBA game.

Monroe has been strong on the glass all season. He's grabbed 16.0 percent of all available rebounds, good for fourth among rookies, and that figure has not changed appreciably in the month of January. What has improved has been Monroe's accuracy. He shot 44 percent from the field in November and December, but has made 58.5 percent of his attempts this month.

Instead of operating in the high post as he often did at Georgetown, Monroe has been able to hang around the basket to finish feeds from teammates or convert second chances. According to Hoopdata.com, two-thirds of Monroe's field goal attempts this season have come at the rim. In the month of January, he's been hitting 76.9 percent of those shots. While he surely will not continue to shoot such a high percentage -- Wilson Chandler and Tayshaun Prince are the lone two players so accurate at the rim in at least 100 shot attempts this season -- Monroe's judicious shot selection should enable him to keep his shooting percentage safely above 50 percent. In combination with his rebounding, that will make him valuable to the Pistons, who have gone 5-6 this month as they try to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/news/story?id=6053438&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2finsider%2fnews%2fstory%3fid%3d6053438

[hoyainspirit]

Nice write-up. Thanx for posting.

[JS]

Patrick Ewing Jr has been traded from the Reno Bighorns to the Sioux Falls Skyforce in exchange for Danny Green.

www.nba.com/dleague/siouxfalls/ewing_110125.html

[FrazierFanatic]

No better place to be than Sioux Falls in January!