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Hittin' the Links: Steppin' Back To Look At Greg Monroe And Terrico White, The Newest Pistons

By Packey

Well, last night happened. It escalated fast -- jumped up a notch -- but we have two new Pistons and life must go on. Or we can spend the next couple weeks before summer league consoling one another, ever so gently. Your call.

  • Here's what the analysts are saying about the Pistons draft. Hint: They like it.
    • Jay Bilas on Monroe:
    "He's different from the others because he's more skilled. I think he may be the most skilled big man in this draft. ... He's a good athlete, but he's not a superior athlete, and that's been a little bit of a knock on him. ... I think he's going to have perhaps a better pro career than he had a college career."
    Bilas on White:
    "He's a better two-footed jumper than I think he is a one-footed jumper. ... I think he'll be a good player in the NBA in time, if he sticks with it."
    Jeff Van Gundy on Monroe:
    "You asked about how he's different from Ewing, Mourning, Mutombo?" Van Gundy said. "He actually likes to pass."
    ESPN's Chad Ford on Monroe:
    The Pistons needed a big man in the worst way and Monroe was the best center prospect left on the board. He's a great passer, a good rebounder and a skillful scorer. He's not a big-time athlete, but he's ready to play right now. I think this a great pick for Detroit. Monroe reminds me a lot of Vlade Divac.
    Ford on White:
    I love this pick for the Pistons. He's one of the best athletes in the draft. White can play both backcourt positions, can shoot the basketball and is very explosive. If he had a better motor, he would've gone much, much higher.
    More Chad Ford on White. Overall, Ford gives the Pistons an A- for the draft:
    With their second-round pick the Pistons went the opposite direction. White isn't as skilled or fundamentally sound as Monroe, but he was one of the draft's best athletes and has the versatility to play both backcourt positions. Had he not had an off year, he would've been a potential lottery pick based on his physical tools, so getting him at No. 36 was a steal.

    While Pistons president Joe Dumars certainly didn't solve all their problems in the draft, they did take another important step in rebuilding the team.
    A lot more after the jump:
  • Monroe's passing skills is a segue into this thought: If Stuckey doesn't become the passing guard we need, and it's looking like he might not, having a big that can dish the rock certainly doesn't hurt. "Maybe he can play PG," jokes aside, Monroe has the ability to make the backcourt, which has the potential to be one of the best in the NBA, better.
  • Ziller at FanHouse, more or less, agrees:
    Monroe, a highly skilled pivot who best operates out of the high post, should jump right into Detroit's starting line-up. The best Pistons big man last season was minimum-contract Ben Wallace. Monroe will help out converted point guard Rodney Stuckey move the ball, and should improve the team's paint mettle on defense a bit as well.
  • Monroe isn't touted as just a good passer for a big man, though. Golden State's GM said he was the best passer in all of college basketball:
    • RILEY: Greg Monroe is the best passer in college basketball. He makes people better around him.

    Q: Best passing big man? Or best passer no matter the position?

    RILEY: Yep. In college basketball. I don’t care who you’re talking about. Now John Wall was great, let’s don’t take that away from him. John Wall puts the ball right in people’s hands. But I’ll tell you what, Greg Monroe makes people better around him. You don’t see many big guys who facilitate or who help other people.

    And so it makes you wonder why, if Riley thought he was such a good passer, the Warriors didn't draft him with the 6th pick. Well, they already nabbed the best college passer in last year's draft in Curry and Udoh will give GS the defensive help it desperately needs. Riley's comments may have also been a smokescreen, hoping the Kings would fall in love with Monroe so Cousins could fall to No. 6.

  • Here's an example of Monroe's passing abilities - via True Hoop, where there's a good piece on Monroe. (H/T to - PS -)
  • Dumars said he broke up the potential draft picks for the No. 7 spot into two groups. The first one consisted of Favors, Cousins, and Monroe. He didn't think anybody from that first group would be available. Ed Davis, Ekpe Udoh, and Cole Aldrich were in the second group.
  • From the same link: Greg Monroe hails from Dumars' home state of Louisiana.
  • Vince Ellis says Terrico White is most like Jason Richardson.
  • Dumars' intent this off-season is to stay active and make some trades still. We've heard that before, though.

    Add anything else you got in the comments. End of October/beginning of November can't come fast enough, but I'll settle for summer league July 9th.

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