Detroit Bad Boys - Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond: The Pistons' future starts when?A community of Detroit Pistons fans since 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48119/detroitbadboys-fave.png2013-05-02T12:15:05-04:00http://www.detroitbadboys.com/rss/stream/36801552013-05-02T12:15:05-04:002013-05-02T12:15:05-04:00Dre finishes 4th in ROY voting
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6Kl5yUDPDm-gkPH4bvQEJaH0Rkg=/0x0:2667x1778/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12576863/20130203_pjc_aa1_201.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Damian Lillard was voted Rookie of the Year unanimously, but a healthy Andre Drummond may have changed that. </p> <p>Via NBA.com, our beloved <span>Andre Drummond</span> finished fourth overall in Rookie of the Year voting, receiving 5 second place votes, 21 third place votes, and 36 fourth place votes.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, the <a target="_blank" href="http://wagesofwins.com/the-yay-points-thesis/">Yay Points! thesis</a> yet again explains the voting well: <span>Damian Lillard</span> was voted ROY - and only the fourth player in history to be voted so unanimously.</p>
<p>I'm not going on a long rant about this. Lillard is a good player who made a significant impact in Portland as a rookie. With Andre Drummond, I'm happy for the kid... even if I can't post this <a target="_blank" href="http://instagram.com/p/Yyfx2oyMY8/">kind of picture on Instagram </a>the way Dre can.</p>
<p>That said, I'd be remiss in my duties as a blogger if I didn't at least point out that statistically, Andre Drummond was a better player this year than everyone who finished ahead of him in the voting, including Lillard.</p>
<p>As I<a target="_blank" href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2012/12/14/3766814/andre-drummond-should-be-the-1-4-way-rookie-of-the-year"> mentioned back in December</a>, minutes appeared to be the main impediment keeping Dre out of the conversation. Through one quarter of the season, Dre dominated when he played (with the occasional missed rotation and overall deer in headlights look that all rookies get at one time or another). Unfortunately, just as <span>Lawrence Frank</span> decided to increase his minutes, Dre hurt his back, which all but took him out of the running.</p>
<p>Even so, the stats bear out just how good Drummond was this season. Basketball-reference.com gives us (just about everything) I want to point out via the table below, and frankly, it speaks for itself. Dre was really, really, really good. (Pro tip: use horizontal scroll bar at the end of the post to see the whole thing)</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://widgets.sports-reference.com/wg.fcgi?css=1&site=bbr&url=%2Fplay-index%2Fpcm_finder.cgi%3Frequest%3D1%26sum%3D0%26p1%3Dlillada01%26y1%3D2013%26p2%3Ddavisan02%26y2%3D2013%26p3%3Dbealbr01%26y3%3D2013%26p4%3Ddrumman01%26y4%3D2013&div=div_advanced"></script></span></p>
<p>Wins Produced and its derivative Points over Par tell a very similar story (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.thenbageek.com">via The NBA Geek</a>):</p>
<p> </p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="333"><tbody>
<tr>
<td width="141" valign="bottom">
<p><a href="http://www.thenbageek.com/players?direction=asc&q=drummond&sort=name&utf8=%E2%9C%93" title="Click to sort in ascending direction">Name</a></p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.thenbageek.com/players?direction=desc&q=drummond&sort=%22WP48%22&utf8=%E2%9C%93">WP48</a></p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.thenbageek.com/players?direction=asc&q=drummond&sort=wins_produced&utf8=%E2%9C%93">WP</a></p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.thenbageek.com/players?direction=desc&q=drummond&sort=points_over_par_48&utf8=%E2%9C%93">PoP48</a></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="141" valign="bottom">
<p><a href="http://www.thenbageek.com/players/1309-damian-lillard">Lillard, Damian</a></p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">0.064</p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">4.2</p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">-1.1</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="141" valign="bottom">
<p><a href="http://www.thenbageek.com/players/1287-anthony-davis">Davis, Anthony</a></p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">0.174</p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">6.7</p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">2.3</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="141" valign="bottom">
<p><a href="http://www.thenbageek.com/players/1316-bradley-beal">Beal, Bradley</a></p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">0.088</p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">3.2</p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">-0.3</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="141" valign="bottom">
<p><a href="http://www.thenbageek.com/players/1264-andre-drummond">Drummond, Andre</a></p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">0.313</p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">8.1</p>
</td>
<td width="64" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">6.7</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>And I'll just leave this here as well. I've mentioned this in the comments, but if you've missed it, notice the similarities between 12-13 Andre Drummond and 03-04 <span>Ben Wallace</span>.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://widgets.sports-reference.com/wg.fcgi?css=1&site=bbr&url=%2Fplay-index%2Fpcm_finder.cgi%3Frequest%3D1%26sum%3D0%26p1%3Dwallabe01%26y1%3D2003%26p2%3Ddrumman01%26y2%3D2013&div=div_advanced"></script></span></p>
<p>Congratulations to Andre Drummond for an amazing season and for capturing well-deserved national attention in spite of missed time and injuries.</p>
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/5/2/4293466/andre-drummond-finishes-4th-in-nba-rookie-of-the-year-votingBen Gulker2013-02-01T14:01:31-05:002013-02-01T14:01:31-05:00ESPN: Drummond could be next Shaq
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<figcaption>Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The superlatives just keep pouring in for Detroit's electric big man. Despite being just 19 years old people are starting to realize that Drummond has superstar potential.</p> <p>It's amazing what a little <a href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/1/30/3932156/pistons-vs-bucks-andre-drummond-highlights-2013-final-score">18-and-18</a> game can do for your national profile.</p>
<p>Despite being largely forgotten in the rookie of the year debate with <span>Damian Lillard</span> and not having the inherent hype of being the No. 1 overall pick like <span>Anthony Davis</span>, the national media is slowly realizing just how special <span>Andre Drummond</span> has been during his rookie year.</p>
<div class="read-more">
<strong>More</strong>: <a target="new" href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/1/30/3934588/jose-calderon-trade-effect-on-greg-monroe-and-andre-drummond">Can Calderon turn Detroit's big men into stars?</a>
</div>
<p>Now, ESPN has a couple of profiles on the prodigiously talented teenager. Both pieces are part of ESPN Insider (completely worth the money for the basketball coverage alone).</p>
<p>The first is David Thorpe <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/Rookies-130201/detroit-pistons-andre-drummond-path-greatness">analyzing</a> just what Drummond needs to do to reach even close to his full potential. His diagnosis is interesting if not exactly earth-shattering in its originality:</p>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Improve conditioning and strength</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Value position on the floor</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Have a post plan</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Play with balance</span></li>
</ol>
<div>Thorpe's bottom line:</div>
<blockquote>
<div>
<p>With his enormous upside, Drummond has drawn comparisons to Howard, who has dominated thanks to the same formula that made O'Neal into a legend: (1) incredible agility with a huge body; (2) great power and balance inside; and (3) the disposition to dominate the paint.</p>
<p>Drummond has the first box checked off. And he has shown flashes of the other two. Still, hundreds of talented men have shown glimpses and now reside on benches in the NBA or on rosters in Europe. Drummond is no longer seen as a risk of a prospect, but he needs to make progress in those latter two areas to be the best player he can be. Following the four-step plan above will help him reach stardom sooner rather than later.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>Even more exciting, however, is Kevin Pelton's <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8904783/nba-andre-drummond-next-shaq">assessment</a> of Drummond. And while DBB and others have brought up comparisons to <span>Dwight Howard</span>, Pelton says an even more apt comparison might be to the most dominating center of my lifetime -- Shaquille O'Neal.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Drummond can't match Shaq's prowess in the low post -- Drummond isn't nearly so skilled or physically dominant (O'Neal has three inches on Drummond, who is listed at 6-10). As with a young Howard, most of Drummond's scoring comes off other players setting him up. And somehow he makes both Howard and O'Neal, known for their free throw follies, look like <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/592/steve-nash">Steve Nash</a> at the charity stripe.</p>
<p>But the rest of his stat line compares favorably to O'Neal's rookie season -- when Shaq was a year and a half older and had two additional seasons of NCAA experience to polish his game.</p>
<p>As his role grows, Drummond must chart his own path. Maybe he won't get there. But the way he's played so far calls for comparisons to some of the best centers in the NBA over the past three decades. That's heady stuff for a 19-year-old, especially one coming off the bench.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The article also touches on a bunch of other interesting findings. One is win percentage, which Pelton says is the per-minute version of WARP. He charged the win percentage of every rookie with at least 500 minutes played dating back to 1979 (hint: it's a lot of rookies). Pelton is interested in visualizing just how productive Drummond has been compared to how little he has played. I am much more interested in just how few outliers there are on the list -- and Drummond is among them.</p>
<p>The others? David Robinson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, <span>Tim Duncan</span>, Hakeem Olajuwon, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Terry Cummings, <span>Chris Webber</span>, <span>Kenneth Faried</span> and Arvydas Sabonis. Not bad company to keep.</p>
<p>Pelton also puts the lie to the fact that players are only effective in limited minutes and their production drops off when given more minutes. <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20071122115204/http://ballhype.com/story/the_paul_millsap_doctrine/">Evidence</a>.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, and he notes the fact that Drummond's current PER ranks 12th among rookies in NBA history. NBD.</p>
<p> </p>
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https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/2/1/3941538/espn-andre-drummond-shaquille-onealSean Corp2013-01-25T15:39:39-05:002013-01-25T15:39:39-05:00Andre Drummond's historic first half
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tQKN-cLMM6OpKKmWjOhdAsg_S_s=/0x0:2662x1775/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/7108497/20130106_lbm_af2_275.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Just how good has the Detroit Pistons big man been? Despite his limited minutes, Drummond is on track to have the best season from a teenager in NBA history.</p> <p>Unsurprisingly, Andre Drummond was not selected as an Eastern Conference NBA All-Star. And as expected he is still lagging in the Rookie of the Year discussion behind <span>Damian Lillard</span> and <span>Anthony Davis</span>. But just how good has Drummond been?</p>
<p>The answer: Historically great.</p>
<p>But lets back up to the Rookie of the Year issue.</p>
<p>Tom Haberstroh got the ball rolling with an intriguing question at <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/PerDiem-130116/nba-case-andre-drummond-rookie-year">ESPN Insider</a>: Should <span>Andre Drummond</span> be considered for rookie of the year?</p>
<p>The answer, of course, is an emphatic yes. That's no surprise to us, of course. If he was getting more than 20 minutes per game the NBA world at large would agree because his production has been undeniable.</p>
<p>Haberstroh uses PER to quantify Drummond's impact. Turns out he is on pace to break the NBA record for rookie PER. But not everyone loves PER. Haberstroh also leaned on fellow ESPN employee Kevin Pelton (the new John Hollinger at the worldwide leader) to run Drummond's numbers through his SCHOENE system to get a player similarity score. Turns out Drummond's best comp is <span>Dwight Howard</span>.</p>
<p>Again, <a href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/1/1/3825528/is-andre-drummond-better-than-dwight-howard">been there, done that</a>.</p>
<p>Haberstroh's article served as more of a primer to Drummond's style of play and effectiveness to the uninitiated. Despite the numbers being clearly highlighted in the article Haberstroh didn't use the occasion to make any proclamations.</p>
<p>Well, allow me to be so bold. Andre Drummond is having a historic rookie season. In fact, he is having the best rookie season of any teenager in NBA history.</p>
<p>He has only played 838 minutes so far this season (20 MPG) and has still managed to amass 3.7 Win Shares. Only <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&type=totals&per_minute_base=36&lg_id=NBA&is_playoffs=N&year_min=&year_max=&franch_id=&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=19&height_min=0&height_max=99&birth_country_is=Y&birth_country=&is_active=&is_hof=&is_as=&as_comp=gt&as_val=&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_gf=Y&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fg=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&qual=&c1stat=ws&c1comp=gt&c1val=3.5&c2stat=ws_per_48&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&c5stat=&c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.0&c6stat=&order_by=ws">10 teenagers in NBA history</a> have had 3.7 Win Shares in an entire season. In fact, Drummond is on pace to break the record for most Win Shares by a teenage rookie in NBA history.</p>
<p>And those 10 players put Drummond in some historic company that anyone would be proud to be a part of.</p>
<p>Those 10 teenagers (with All-Star selections in parentheses): Dwight Howard (7), <span>Kobe Bryant</span> (15), <span>Chris Bosh</span> (8), <span>Carmelo Anthony</span> (6), <span>LeBron James</span> (9), <span>Thaddeus Young</span>, <span>Kevin Garnett</span> (15), <span>Andrew Bynum</span> (1), <span>Kyrie Irving</span> (1), <span>Tony Parker</span> (5).</p>
<p>Click image to enlarge.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2067495/Player_Comp2.jpg"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2067495/Player_Comp2_medium.jpg" class="photo" alt="Player_comp2.jpg" width="100%"></a></p>
<p>Collectively, they have 67 All-Star appearances to go with 12 championships, five MVP awards and, tellingly, only two received rookie of the year honors (James and Irving).</p>
<p>Looking at Win Shares again, Drummond is on pace to break Howard's NBA record for Win Shares from a teenager in 1,000 fewer minutes. And half of them will have played 1,500 to 2,000 more minutes than Drummond.</p>
<p>If you said before the season Drummond would have a bigger impact on games than LeBron James did in his first year you would have been laughed at. If you said that he could be better than Dwight Howard others would have said you need to put down the Kool-Aid.</p>
<p>But with 42 games in the books Drummond has bested them all. He isn't having a good season for a raw specimen of his ilk. He isn't having a great season for a big man in limited minutes. He is having a historic season the likes of which we have never seen.</p>
<p>Get on the bandwagon everybody, because it is about to get awfully crowded.</p>
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/1/25/3915248/andre-drummonds-historic-first-halfSean Corp2013-01-25T15:17:08-05:002013-01-25T15:17:08-05:00Andre Drummond: Projection vs. Reality
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ktLBl8iC44VEDrNYbMH1EONmP94=/0x0:2667x1778/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/7104635/20130101_ajl_ai5_342.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Five months ago Detroit Bad Boys attempted to use stats and history to craft a projection for Andre Drummond's rookie season. At the halfway mark, the explosive big man has met and exceeded just about every marker we laid out.</p> <p>Before the season began I attempted to project <span>Andre Drummond's</span> rookie contributions by looking at the statistical contribution of teenage big men throughout NBA history. At the time, I was worried that the rare superstar -- <span>Dwight Howard</span>, <span>Chris Bosh</span> and <span>Kevin Garnett</span> -- was skewing the stats and proper expectations for the big man out of UConn.</p>
<p>Halfway into his first season, Drummond has made clear that not only should I have not worried about superstars skewing the results, but that he has largely exceeded those superstar numbers.</p>
<p>Shortly after the Orlando Summer League, <a href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2012/8/2/3214926/andre-drummond-and-reasonable-expectations">this is what I wrote</a>. Don't worry, I won't be offended if you laugh:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>But the bust factor remains unnervingly high. At 19 years and with only one year of lackluster performance in college ball and a respectable showing in Orlando Summer League under his belt, I think it is safe to say that Drummond has showed his age. Inconsistency has been a hallmark. Effort isn't always there. Mental lapses and flashes of raw talent have been on full display.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Seriously, go back and <a href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2012/8/2/3214926/andre-drummond-and-reasonable-expectations">read the whole thing</a>, especially the associated comments.</p>
<p>In the end I came to the conclusion that it would be reasonable to remove future All-Stars Garnett, Howard and Bosh from the data sample, and to place Drummond's best-case scenario for his rookie year at Derrick Favors-level of production but even tempered those expectations. Let's see how they stack up against reality:</p>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td><br></td>
<td>
<p><b>Derrick </b></p>
<p><b>Favors</b></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><b>Drummond </b></p>
<p><b>Projection</b></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><b>Drummond</b></p>
<p><b>Reality</b></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WS</td>
<td>2.9</td>
<td>1.63</td>
<td>3.7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>G</td>
<td>78</td>
<td>60.3</td>
<td>42</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MP</td>
<td>19.7</td>
<td>16.14</td>
<td>20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FG</td>
<td>2.8</td>
<td>2.24</td>
<td>3.3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FGA</td>
<td>5.3</td>
<td>4.85</td>
<td>5.4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FT</td>
<td>1.3</td>
<td>1.19</td>
<td>0.9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FTA</td>
<td>2.2</td>
<td>1.84</td>
<td>2.2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ORB</td>
<td>2.2</td>
<td>1.52</td>
<td>2.9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DRB</td>
<td>3.1</td>
<td>2.74</td>
<td>4.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TRB</td>
<td>5.3</td>
<td>4.26</td>
<td>7.4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AST</td>
<td>0.5</td>
<td>.5</td>
<td>0.4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>STL</td>
<td>0.4</td>
<td>0.31</td>
<td>0.9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BLK</td>
<td>0.9</td>
<td>0.88</td>
<td>1.6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TOV</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0.84</td>
<td>0.8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PF</td>
<td>3.2</td>
<td>2.05</td>
<td>2.1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PTS</td>
<td>6.8</td>
<td>5.79</td>
<td>7.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FG%</td>
<td>0.51</td>
<td>0.48</td>
<td>0.61</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FT%</td>
<td>59.5</td>
<td>0.65</td>
<td>0.42</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p>The funniest part is that when I wrote that article in August I was afraid of unfairly lumping in Howard, Garnett and Bosh -- and now those are the kinds of players that seem like the most reasonable comps for Drummond, especially Howard as <a href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/1/1/3825528/is-andre-drummond-better-than-dwight-howard">revken has already written in the past</a>.</p>
<p>Using the <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&p1=drumman01&y1=2013&p2=howardw01&y2=2005&p3=garneke01&y3=1996&p4=boshch01&y4=2004">player comparison tool</a> on Basketball-Reference, check out how Drummond stacks up to the Big 3. Click on the image to see clearer rendering.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2066893/Player_Comp.jpg"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2066893/Player_Comp.jpg" width="100%" class="photo" alt="Player_comp_medium"></a> <br id="1359129126409"></p>
<p>Not only does Drummond compare favorably to those perennial All Stars but he eclipses nearly all of their rate stats, including in rebounding, blocks, steals and true shooting percentage. The only thing limiting him now seems to be minutes, and while they are nowhere where we'd like them to be, they are trending up.</p>
<p>Soon, <a href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/1/25/3915248/andre-drummonds-historic-first-half">we'll talk about just where Drummond's first season ranks in NBA history</a>.</p>
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/1/25/3914934/andre-drummond-stats-projection-vs-realitySean Corp2013-01-24T18:52:08-05:002013-01-24T18:52:08-05:00Can Greg Monroe defend a Power Forward's playbook?
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<figcaption>BOKEH AND DUNKS | Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>With the rise of Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe has begun the transition to power forward and the change in roles that come with it. How will Greg Monroe handle the new defensive responsibilities against nimble power forwards with range?</p> <p>In a conversation with Vincent Goodwill, <span>Greg Monroe</span> <a href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/1/24/3912676/greg-monroe-andre-drummond-start-power-forward">commented on the transition</a> he's undergoing to spend more time at power forward next to <span>Andre Drummond</span>. The new role will require new habits-- instead of shifting to the basket on defensive rotations, Monroe will often need to slide toward the perimeter against forwards with range. Is this a role Monroe is suited to handle, and how is he handling this transition to date?</p>
<p>Since entering the league, Greg Monroe has presented a defensive liability against stronger players who can muscle around him in the post. He's never been much of a shot blocker, and his post defense has left plenty to be desired. He appears to take a heady approach to his defensive responsibilities, relying on a keen awareness of opponent play-making to be one of the league's premier pick-and-roll defenders. However, in the post, he struggles to be the last option against isolation plays and post-ups from opposing centers.</p>
<p>At power forward, Monroe will no longer be that last option. He'll be paired with a large-bodied shot-blocking force who can compliment him should a cutting guard find an open lane to the basket. At 6'11", 250 pounds himself, he'll have a size advantage against nearly every power forward he's matched up against. When it comes to handling the biggest guy on the court, that role will fall to Detroit's biggest guy on the court-- Monroe will instead bring an advantage into nearly every match-up he faces.</p>
<p>The question Monroe answered when commenting on his role defending power forwards isn't about size, however:</p>
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<p>"It's definitely a difference on defense, especially for teams who might play small with a stretch-four," Monroe said."</p>
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<p>How will Greg Monroe handle the shift to defending power forwards with extended range? If the numbers are any indication, he'll not only handle it well, he'll excel. According to Synergy Sports, Monroe is ranked 17th in the league (regardless of position) in defending spot-up perimeter shots including long twos and three-point attempts. Synergy has tracked 87 spot-up attempts against Monroe this season, and he's allowed 31.1% inside the three point line and 26.9% beyond. These marks are better than a "who's who" of defensively-acclaimed big men, making him a virtual stopper when the opposing team employs a stretch shooting big man.</p>
<p>Greg's perimeter defense and his career-long knack for pick-and-roll defense make him well-suited to defending power forwards. Given that he'll no longer be guarding the biggest opposing player, many of the defensive liabilities he faced at center will be neutralized at power forward. Add to this that a player that makes it past Monroe on a drive to the basket will often find one more defender waiting in the paint-- and things bode even better for Detroit's frontcourt defense.</p>
<p>The question that remains will be how Greg Monroe handles offensively-gifted forwards who use speed to break down their competition. If a player isn't shooting from the perimeter and he's not using size to muscle into the paint, there's not much data to show how Monroe will handle this responsibility. It's not going to be an infrequent adjustment-- as Monroe will be faced with defending Lebron James in a small-ball <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Heat</a> match-up, for example. There's also a question of energetic forwards like <span>Kenneth Faried</span> and <span>Blake Griffin</span>. These will be tough match-ups for any player, but Greg has shown enough improvement and promise that he shouldn't be much of a liability in those tough match-ups.</p>
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/">Pistons</a> are taking their time with Monroe's transition to power forward, and they are wise to do so. However, Monroe has already put together an excellent defensive performance against perimeter offenses, one that is very promising for his future role at the position. It needs to be said that Monroe has one of the best sparring partners in the league to defend in practice-- if <span>Charlie Villanueva</span> can do anything, he can certainly challenge opposing big men with lights out perimeter shooting.</p>
<p>Personally, I'm very confident that Monroe will transition smoothly to defending power forwards, and my confidence is born in the evidence he's established. In fact, the evidence is so encouraging that Monroe and Drummond could collectively build one of the premier frontcourt defenses in the league. It's strange to suggest this given Greg's struggles throughout his career-- but these struggles may be neutralized by a simple change of position, one that is already long underway.</p>
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/1/24/3912940/is-greg-monroe-capable-of-defending-nba-power-forwardsMike Payne2013-01-24T17:00:35-05:002013-01-24T17:00:35-05:00Monroe on sharing space with Drummond
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<p>When will the Pistons start their two most talented big men side by side? Greg Monroe spoke with Vincent Goodwill about the adjustments he needs to make when playing power forward alongside Andre Drummond. </p> <p><span>Greg Monroe</span> spoke with <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130124/SPORTS0102/301240385/1127/rss13">Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News</a> about the adjustments he must make when sharing the court with <span>Andre Drummond</span>:</p>
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<p>"It's definitely a difference on defense, especially for teams who might play small with a stretch-four," Monroe said. "On offense in our system, it isn't that big a difference, just subtle things. I have to space out more with Andre down there."</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;">[...] </span>"I'll have to pop a couple more times but it's not something I'm struggling with," Monroe said. "It's something more of an adjustment on defense.</p>
<p>"For two years, I'm playing the five and I'm used to rotations coming toward the basket. It's habits that were good (playing center) that can give other guys a couple (open) shots."</p>
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<p>The pairing is obviously a work in progress. According to <a href="http://www.nba.com/statistics/plusminus/plusminus_sort.jsp?pcomb=2&season=22012&split=9&team=Pistons&pager.offset=25">NBA.com/Stats, the two big men have shared the court for 190 minutes</a> so far this season with a +5 plus/minus, allowing 355 points and giving up 350. (Incidentally, three of the top six pairings include Drummond, and another three include Austin Daye. Numbers, man.) It's encouraging, sure, but hardly domination. Monroe is confident they'll improve with time. From <a href="http://www.nba.com/pistons/features/truebluepistons_130124.html">Pistons.com's Keith Langlois</a>:</p>
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<p>Frank has found ways to play Monroe and Drummond side by side in increasing doses as Drummond’s playing time has ticked up over the course of the season. Eventually, Monroe is prepared to spend the bulk of his time as a power forward while Drummond mans the middle defensively. Monroe likes the fit so far.</p>
<p>"Definitely," he said. "It’s still a long way to go to be really good. We have to spend more time together, but right now we’re starting to be really effective and as that time expands, we’ll be even better."</p>
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<p><span>Lawrence Frank</span> says he'll continue to view the matchups when deploying the two players. Again, from Goodwill:</p>
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<p>"It depends on who the four is and not just that, the style of play," Frank said. "Those are areas, being a big guy all his life he's not used to guarding. It's going to take time.</p>
<p>"Guys that play traditional, which there aren't a lot of, the rotations are the same. He knows it, it's just an instinctive reaction and over time he'll get better and better with it."</p>
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<p>Long story short: it'll probably take some time before we see these two side by side on a regular basis -- and even longer for the opening tip. But it's going to happen.</p>
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/1/24/3912676/greg-monroe-andre-drummond-start-power-forwardMatt Watson2012-11-10T03:26:08-05:002012-11-10T03:26:08-05:00Knight may also thrive from Monroe-Drummond combo
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<figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Aside from getting the frontcourt of the future accustomed to playing next to each other, playing Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond together may also be beneficial to 20-year-old "point guard of the future" Brandon Knight. </p> <p>While <a href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pistons</a> fans were most excited about <span>Andre Drummond</span> and <span>Greg Monroe</span> finally playing together, I happened to notice another important by product of the two big men finally getting on the court at the same time: <span>Brandon Knight</span> and his success at point guardy things.</p>
<p>In just under six minutes of action together, Knight racked up four of his six assists while Monroe and Drummond were on the floor together. It could be a coincidence, but in addition to Monroe having success playing point forward, Knight seemed much more comfortable with extra space, as Monroe and Drummond spread things out and opened up the offense. Again, maybe it was a coincidence, but I can't recall Knight ever coming close to four assists in six minutes before.</p>
<p>Even before Monroe and Drummond took the floor together for the first time this season, I thought Knight was quietly having his best game in terms of passing the rock -- he easily could've had three more assists in the game had it not been for missed bunnies, two from Prince -- but he was clearly best with Monroe and Drummond both on the court.</p>
<p>Knight has been a bit of an enigma this season, as his stats through five games suggested he had vastly improved at point guard (35 AST% opposite 20 TOV% compared to last year's 21 AST% and 17 TOV%), although he has unequivocally failed the eye test. Last year, I thought Knight provided hope despite his ugly stats.</p>
<p>Maybe Lawrence Frank noticed Knight's success on Friday night, too, and will use that as further reason to play DrumMonroe. After all, it's all part of the future.</p>
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2012/11/10/3626326/brandon-knight-flourished-with-greg-monroe-and-andre-drummond-on-thePackey2012-11-10T02:22:59-05:002012-11-10T02:22:59-05:00Lawrence Frank finally plays Monroe with Drummond
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<figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>For almost eight minutes, Pistons fans finally got a glimpse of what it might be like with Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe playing together. The Pistons immediately went on a 9-0 run and outscored the defending Western Conference champs 17-15 while the young Pistons' frontcourt of the future were on the floor together. </p> <p>For the first time this season, head coach <span>Lawrence Frank</span> put rookie <span>Andre Drummond</span> in the game at the same time as <span>Greg Monroe</span>. For the first time this season, <a href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pistons</a> fans got a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/pistons/features/truebluepistons_121109.html">glimpse of the future. </a></p>
<p>Some fans have been reasonably wondering why it has taken so long for Frank to play the two together, especially given the Pistons' winless start. Beat writer Keith Langlois provided at least one semi-legitimate reason for the delay:</p>
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<p>One reason Lawrence Frank has been hesitant to pair Greg Monroe with Andre Drummond is the consistent production he’s received from <span>Jason Maxiell</span> and Jonas Jerebko at power forward.</p>
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<p>Despite the strong play of Maxiell and Jerebko thus far this season, it's baffling how a winless team had not yet experimented with its future frontcourt, especially since it seemed to work in the preseason, and it<i> is </i>the frontcourt of the future. Before the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a> game, Frank had shed some more light on why... he's been so confusing [via<a target="_blank" href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2012/11/9/3625736/pistons-94-thunder-105-where-moral-victories-happen#126460903"> freywagg</a>]:</p>
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<p>Coach Lawrence Frank said before the game that Detroit had been hesitant to use the two big men together because "you don't take away one of your main cogs and put him in a position of weakness there" but that the Pistons would probably try out the lineup eventually.</p>
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<p>We can assume Frank means Monroe is their main cog and putting him at power forward would be putting him in a position of weakness. We can then conclude that makes zero sense. Monroe is a natural power forward and has been playing out of position at center. While he has shown to be successful playing there, there's nothing to suggest he wouldn't also flourish at power forward.</p>
<p>It's entirely possible Frank simply doesn't know what the hell is going on, based also on his comments after Friday night's loss:</p>
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<p>"Bottom line, they were ready to play and we weren't. I didn't recognize our team tonight. We didn't come out with the approach that we normally do. We've got to have that fire and come out and compete."</p>
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<p>The approach the Pistons normally come out with? The team is an NBA-worst 0-5 and energy has been at a premium. What's normal? Weird. Frank may not have recognized his team tonight because he mixed things up for once, but overall, I thought the Pistons played pretty well considering they were going up against the reigning Western Conference champs. The Pistons outrebounded a team for the first time this season (41-38), had more assists (24-21) and fewer turnovers (15-17).</p>
<p>Further, the future of the Pistons, something Frank should hope he'll be apart of, was promising. As<a target="_blank" href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2012/11/9/3625736/pistons-94-thunder-105-where-moral-victories-happen"> MFMP said</a>, Friday night was a moral victory for the young Pistons if there ever was one. Frank's probably not encouraged by the 0-6 start, but this was one of the more encouraging games of the still-very-young season.</p>
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2012/11/10/3626142/andre-drummond-greg-monroe-pistons-lineup-2012-lawrence-frank-quotesPackey