Here’s the reason Georgetown center Greg Monroe will go high in the NBA Draft, maybe sneaking into the top five:
“He’ll be a better pro than he was a college player,” ESPN college and draft analyst Jay Bilas said. “He’s an outstanding passer. He’s got some people who have questioned his desire. I’m not sure that’s fair. I know when Georgetown decided they would go to him to exploit a matchup, he would deliver.
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“He’s not a knock-you-down tough guy, but he doesn’t back down from anybody. He’s a big guy who can pass, dribble and score. He’s an elite passer as a big man, and that will serve him well.”
Ah, but that skill is most effectively used when drawing double teams. And to do that, you must have a more developed offensive game than Monroe.
So here’s why some teams might pass:
“Whoever coaches him will have the most difficult challenge,” said ESPN college and draft analyst Fran Fraschilla, also an ex-coach. “You’ll have to fit your system to a guy who’s not a great jump shooter and only on occasion will dominate inside as a scorer. The fact that he’s a good passer and has good basketball IQ will put pressure on a coach to fit that system to that player. There are very few guys in the NBA who have that profile, and in some ways it doesn’t fit in the NBA. It will take a coach with some creativity to use strengths Greg has, [which] are pretty darned good.”
