Getty Greg Monroe, Los Angeles Lakers
It’s been a busy summer for the Los Angeles Lakers, but despite multiple new faces arriving, the common consensus is that the front office needs to continue pushing forward with re-tooling the roster.
In a July 30 article for Sports Illustrated, NBA reporter Ben Stinar postulated the addition of veteran center Greg Monroe to help shore up the Lakers big man rotation – assuming that Anthony Davis is going to spend limited time playing at the five.
GREG MONROE says NO on TNT!
The Lakers do not have any cap space, so they have to find bargain deals to help out their roster, and Monroe averaged 5.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists last season playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz,” Stinar wrote, “Monroe has a career shooting percentage of over 51%, and he can hit down mid-range jump shots. There is no question that he would be a good pickup for the Lakers off the bench or another team led by veterans that could use depth off the bench.”
Monroe has been somewhat of a journeyman over the past five years, splitting his time between the NBA and Europe as he looks to find a long-term home to continue his career, as such, it makes sense that the six-foot-eleven big man would be willing to sign a short-term deal to potentially contend for a championship with the Lakers.
What Would Monroe Bring to the Lakers?
It might feel like Monroe has been around the NBA forever, but the truth is, the 32-year-old entered the NBA in 2010 as the 7th overall pick in the draft. Of course, as the league has moved towards a perimeter-based game, and big men have become increasingly skilled, Monroe’s skillset has been deemed somewhat archaic – however, when given the opportunity, the hulking big has proven his worth at the NBA level.
According to Cleaning The Glass, Monroe finished 59.1% of his looks around the rim last season, while also pulling down 18.1% of available defensive rebounds – all while playing limited minutes off the bench.
Greg Monroe doing work down low in his first NBA action since 2018-19! 💪
Sure, those numbers are a far cry from his prime, where Monroe would regularly rank in the top 10% of centered for offensive and defensive rebounding, but his low-post game, screening ability, and effort on the glass ensure he will be a valuable veteran for the Lakers, should they choose to acquire him.
Monroe and Thomas Bryant Would be Solid Depth
Davis has never been shy about his displeasure at playing the five, so it will be interesting to see how Darvin Ham schemes for the gifted big man, and how often he is tasked with playing in his unfavored position.
Of course, the Lakers recently added Thomas Bryant to their rotation, and it remains to be seen if he’s expected to be Los Angeles starting big man, or primary backup off the bench. Still, by adding Monroe, the Lakers will be ensuring their depth chart is as stacked as possible, while also adding a reliable veteran presence who can share his experiences of both the NBA and EuroLeague – something which will be valuable to the younger members of the roster.
There’s no doubt that Los Angeles will have other pressing issues when it comes to sorting out their roster depth, but Monroe is a legitimate option at center and would come at a team-friendly price, so at the very least, he should be worth a closer look in the coming weeks.