Greg Monroe - NBADraft.net (original) (raw)

NBA Comparison: Lamar Odom (less athletic)

Strengths: Multifaceted lefty big-man with the skill set of a guard … The Georgetown’s Princeton style offensive system goes through him making him the primary decision maker … Unique set of skills. Excellent passer, almost unselfish to a fault. Displays great court vision and knowledge of teammates positioning on the court (2.7 assists per game) … Sneaks passes into extremely tight quarters with perfect placement … Handles the ball very adroitly, especially going to his natural left side … Possesses a versatile offensive game … Has the ability to face up and put the ball on the deck or take opponents into the post … Does not have a singular go to post move, but his unorthodox lefty style allows him to get to his comfort spots … His jump shot is pleasing to the eye, but he rarely shows it … On occasion has shown range out to the college three … Has shown increased aggression attacking the basket midway through his sophomore season … Taking 6 free throw attempts as a sophomore compared to 4.8 as a frosh … Added 25 pounds of muscle toward the end of his High School career … Has very broad shoulders and solid frame … His effort on the boards has been tremendous, turning a once looked upon weakness into a strength (10.2 rpg as a sophomore) … He’s quick off his feet and rebounds well out of his area … Possesses great length with a 7’2 wingspan … Disruptor in the paint with his shot blocking ability (1.6 blocks per game) … Very quick hands (1.7 steals per game) … Runs the floor exceedingly well for a man his size. Solid speed from end to end when he hustles … Has an awkward yet effective style and by all accounts a solid character …

Weaknesses: Takes a passive approach to the game … Rarely looks to dominate, choosing rather to take what comes to him and often defers to others. (In fairness, the Georgetown system stresses team play and limits individual creativity) … Lacks the killer instinct to bury his opponent … Often times look disinterested in playing and appears he would rather be some place else … Does not possess explosive athletic ability … His quickness and leaping ability are ordinary by NBA standards … Despite putting on weight, still has difficulty absorbing contact and finishing in traffic … Adding bulk in the past has slowed him down and it’s apparent he’s not a player that can carry any additional weight comforably … No true post game repertoire … His footwork has improved but still needs significant advancements … Very awkward and deliberate in the post … Needs to improve his handle with his off (right) hand … His face up game can be very predictable and he’s prone to turnovers (2.6 per game) when shut off from his original move … Jump shot consistency is a concern … Has an extremely high arch on his shot … Incorporation of a mid-range jumper would be beneficial to his growth … Regression in free throw accuracy is alarming- dropping from 70% to 63% … Does not display his passion for defense on a play in play out basis … Could use an edginess to his game and get his hands dirty more often …

Adam Ganeles – 1/22/2010

Strengths: An intriguing player due to his versatility and size. Has an unusual set of skills … Very unselfish and displays tremendous passing ability … Monroe has excellent height and length allowing him to grab boards, block shots and score easy baskets on smaller players … Lefty who excels at facing the basket and using the dribble (which has been the trademark of his game since his sophomore year in high school) … Runs the floor very well for a player his size … High character guy who works hard to improve, also plays with good energy … Solid free throw shooting motion and touch on his shot … Has shot blocking potential due to his length but must become better disciplined, not leaving his feet … Shows a good understanding of positioning himself and boxing out on rebounds … Has good hands to catch and secure the ball …

Weaknesses: More effective in the high post than low post … Lacks any real post skills, and his proficiency at facing the basket can be a drawback as it keeps him from polishing his back to the basket moves … Body strength is a question mark. Tends to avoid contact … He gets pushed out of position by bigger and stronger post players, and he currently does not have enough bulk to bang in the low post in the NBA … Finding an optimum playing weight will be important as towards the end of his high school career he bulked up and it hindered his quickness and foot speed … The real question is whether he has the ability to carry substantially more weight. He has big, wide shoulders which would lead you to believe he could, however he lost a good deal of his agility and appeared slower when he got over 250 lbs … Should look to extend his range, add a consistent 12-15 foot jumpshot … Despite having above average ball handling ability, it’s questionable how much those skills can be utilized at the next level … Loses focus at times … Can be slow to react to certain plays and situations … Drifts at times and gets out of position defensively … Not extremely explosive but a solid run/jump athlete … His lack of tremendous explosiveness will keep him from being a top notch shot blocker …

Aran Smith – 12/6/2008

Strengths: Monroe is a long PF with very nice offensive moves especially when facing the basket He can penetrate into the lane with a very quick first step He is quite athletic and light on his feet and is a shot blocker in the paint He has unusual ball handling ability for a player his size He needs to continue to assert himself against top talent, as he can be content with just blending in, instead of dominating as he was at the 2006 Nike Camp In terms of raw talent and potential, he has no competition among big men in his class.

Weaknesses: His game is not very complete right now He seems to have a few skills and then struggles to put everything together on the court He needs to bulk up a lot and add muscle in order to bang with NBA bigs He doesnt show much range on his shot, and is a below average free throw shooter, hitting just 65% of his shots last year.

Joshua Motenko – 7/30/2006

YouTube Clip – 1/6/2009

YouTube Clip – 06/08/2010