Is Monroe a PF or C

[MrBigShot]

He needs a jump shot regardless of what position he plays imo. He's not very athletic and doesn't have a great first step, so he can't expect to get to the rim and finish every time when he faces up. The jumper keeps the defense honest. They can't just sag off you if you're a threat from 15-18.

Come on, how many centers are jumpshooters? Or at least real centers. That wasn't something he needed to prioritize until now, but he also had to learn to play PF on both ends of the floor again.

Positions are a lot less defined today than they use to be. You have all sorts of different types of players at each position. Different players need to work on different things, because each player has their own strengths/weaknesses.

The issue with "prioritizing" is that I'm not sure if he had anything else on his priority list. He's hasn't made significant improvement since his 2nd year. Don't get me wrong, I' do like Moose and feel like he's underutilized here...but I don't think he gets a pass on not developing a jumper.

He's been our primary center until this season, so he hasn't really had much of a need to work on it, compared to his post game and defense, then switching positions and relearning how to play defense.

He needs a jump shot regardless of what position he plays imo. He's not very athletic and doesn't have a great first step, so he can't expect to get to the rim and finish every time when he faces up. The jumper keeps the defense honest. They can't just sag off you if you're a threat from 15-18.

Who the **** have you been watching? The only reason Monroe can play in the NBA right now is because he does have a good first step.

I won't reply to posts that twist my words.

[Phenomenonsense]

He needs a jump shot regardless of what position he plays imo. He's not very athletic and doesn't have a great first step, so he can't expect to get to the rim and finish every time when he faces up. The jumper keeps the defense honest. They can't just sag off you if you're a threat from 15-18.

Come on, how many centers are jumpshooters? Or at least real centers. That wasn't something he needed to prioritize until now, but he also had to learn to play PF on both ends of the floor again.

Positions are a lot less defined today than they use to be. You have all sorts of different types of players at each position. Different players need to work on different things, because each player has their own strengths/weaknesses.

The issue with "prioritizing" is that I'm not sure if he had anything else on his priority list. He's hasn't made significant improvement since his 2nd year. Don't get me wrong, I' do like Moose and feel like he's underutilized here...but I don't think he gets a pass on not developing a jumper.

He needs a jump shot regardless of what position he plays imo. He's not very athletic and doesn't have a great first step, so he can't expect to get to the rim and finish every time when he faces up. The jumper keeps the defense honest. They can't just sag off you if you're a threat from 15-18.

Who the **** have you been watching? The only reason Monroe can play in the NBA right now is because he does have a good first step.

I won't reply to posts that twist my words.

Edit: Ahem, that was quite rude of me.

yes... it was, personal attacks = bad juju

[ComboGuardCity]

David took 4 shots a game away from the basket. He's on the best defensive team in the league. He made about 2. Are those 4 points going to make or break our offense? Moose already can get 2 of those points back with his jumpshot. Let him play the 4 full time for this season and til next seasons deadline at least. What's the hurry? It's not like the teams who thought he was good are going to not take him for expirings if we hit the panic button.

[sc8581]

David took 4 shots a game away from the basket. He's on the best defensive team in the league. He made about 2. Are those 4 points going to make or break our offense? Moose already can get 2 of those points back with his jumpshot. Let him play the 4 full time for this season and til next seasons deadline at least. What's the hurry? It's not like the teams who thought he was good are going to not take him for expirings if we hit the panic button.

It's not about him only taking 4 shots per game and making 2, it's about his defender having to come out and guard him while leaving more room in the lane for others to drive and get easier buckets.

[pistontr]

David took 4 shots a game away from the basket. He's on the best defensive team in the league. He made about 2. Are those 4 points going to make or break our offense? Moose already can get 2 of those points back with his jumpshot. Let him play the 4 full time for this season and til next seasons deadline at least. What's the hurry? It's not like the teams who thought he was good are going to not take him for expirings if we hit the panic button.

It's not about him only taking 4 shots per game and making 2, it's about his defender having to come out and guard him while leaving more room in the lane for others to drive and get easier buckets.

this. nobody respects his shot.

[wire28]

the guy that says moose has a bad first step, is pretty false lol. most of his game is based around facing up and literally just beating his defender in a foot race to the hoop.

now dont get me wrong i love to slap reality to all the moose homers as often as possible, but he is pretty good for a big man with his first step (on offense)

now on defense its another story, he plays like he has a piano on his back.

[Clarity]

Damn, it got a little heated in here.

I dont know why guys cant just call Monroe for what he is instead of the "hes elite" or "hes the worst PF in the league".

[Invictus88]

My 2 cents:

He continued to successfully develop his post game and was slotted in at center since that was the Pistons' needed from a big man when he was drafted. He never really had a chance to establish himself as a mid-range threat because he was never asked to become one.

His defense is solid but not spectacular. I think this is true of both when he is at a 4 or a 5. He does a decent job of taking care of his own man and a very limited radius around him but I don't think he has the mentality to be someone who stops everything below the basket. And with Drummond we really shouldn't need him to be.

He gets forgotten about on offense after about the first quarter or so and therefore has limited but efficient shooting nights most often. I think the lack of offensive involvement hurts him somewhat later in games defensively in the same way it hurts Drummond.

He's quietly done a nice job of developing a midrange jumper that he doesn't use often enough for defenses to respect. When he is given the ball it is too often on the block which I think is a mistake for the development of the team and of Monroe's game.

We need Drummond getting more of those touches to round him out. And we need Monroe to be drifting a little further from the basket on the offensive end. It's within the coach's realm of responsibility to make sure those plays get called and I don't see it enough.

So to summarize: Monroe has established center skills NOW and developing skills for the 4. I don't see any reason to believe that he would be unable to do either successfully (if not spectacularly).

[Clarity]

My 2 cents:

He continued to successfully develop his post game and was slotted in at center since that was the Pistons' needed from a big man when he was drafted. He never really had a chance to establish himself as a mid-range threat because he was never asked to become one.

His defense is solid but not spectacular. I think this is true of both when he is at a 4 or a 5. He does a decent job of taking care of his own man and a very limited radius around him but I don't think he has the mentality to be someone who stops everything below the basket. And with Drummond we really shouldn't need him to be.

He gets forgotten about on offense after about the first quarter or so and therefore has limited but efficient shooting nights most often. I think the lack of offensive involvement hurts him somewhat later in games defensively in the same way it hurts Drummond.

He's quietly done a nice job of developing a midrange jumper that he doesn't use often enough for defenses to respect. When he is given the ball it is too often on the block which I think is a mistake for the development of the team and of Monroe's game.

We need Drummond getting more of those touches to round him out. And we need Monroe to be drifting a little further from the basket on the offensive end. It's within the coach's realm of responsibility to make sure those plays get called and I don't see it enough.

So to summarize: Monroe has established center skills NOW and developing skills for the 4. I don't see any reason to believe that he would be unable to do either successfully (if not spectacularly).

Well said, very well said. Pretty much on point.

I love that he doesnt settle for a jumper & nearly everything he gets is at the rim, thats my kinda big man. However him having a consistent jump shot would make him deadly. His jumper isnt that bad now, his main issue is foot work now, when his feet are set, in rhythm, he can usually knock it down.

[MrBigShot]

the guy that says moose has a bad first step, is pretty false lol. most of his game is based around facing up and literally just beating his defender in a foot race to the hoop.

I'm "the guy" but I did not Moose had a bad first step. This is a lot like the chinese whisper game. The message starts off clear, and by the end of the circle somehow the original message turns into something totally different.

Edit: Ahem, that was quite rude of me.

Honestly, my intention was not to come across as pretentious or anything like that. I apologize if I came across that way. I just dislike the way people on this forum react when someone criticizes one of our own players, but I'm not going to get personal on a basketball forum. It's meaningless. It doesn't bother me at all because I don't even know you, but that type of stuff undermines what we are here to actually talk about. If you don't want to see my posts, you can add me to your foes list. If not, I won't hold a grudge or anything like that...I'm not here to make enemies.

[Clarity]

Honestly, my intention was not to come across as pretentious or anything like that. I apologize if I came across that way. I just dislike the way people on this forum react when someone criticizes one of our own players

I think the problem is that there's rarely a middle ground, its either such & such player is trash or the GOAT & the overreactions can be down right comical.