Boston Celtics Rumors: Greg Monroe's Future on Shaky Ground as he Waits on the Bench?
The NBA trade deadline has long eclipsed, and many fans are now seeing the changes in various team lineups. As for the Boston Celtics, the one minor change with Greg Monroe is somehow reportedly not working out pretty well.
The Celtics, who were long favored to sign Monroe, went on to hand the low-post scorer with a one-year five million contract.
While Monroe is only the new addition to what figures to be a championship-caliber squad, especially in a watered-down Eastern Conference, the 27-year-old big man is already struggling to find minutes while the Celtics are flourishing.
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At one point before the All-star break, the Celtics had a measly 6-9 win-loss record that gave away their top spot to the current number one seed, the Toronto Raptors. Now, the Celtics are riding a three-game winning streak while Monroe is riding the bench.
According to head coach Brad Stevens, Monroe "isn't doing anything wrong." Rather, there are just plenty of young Celtics players who are "playing really well" compared to the former Bucks player. Although that might be the case, it's easy to say that Monroe was signed to be the first big off the bench for the Celtics, especially since he is earning five million and not the minimum.
Players such as Daniel Theis and Aron Baynes are more favored by Stevens, with Theis being the surprise backup big man who is earning upwards 20 minutes a game. The German's improved shooting, knack for defense, and more-than-enough rebounding warranted him to play heavy minutes off the bench.
The Celtics supposedly signed Monroe to simply crash the boards. However, Monroe's defensive woes and lack of versatility in switching, something that Stevens is an advocate of, makes him a liability for the best defense in the NBA.
This was shown when Monroe was giving up baskets in a game against the New York Knicks. He went on to only play 11 minutes in that game, with the next being listed as "Did Not Play" (DNP) against the Grizzlies.
While Monroe continues to struggle, Stevens thinks the young veteran will figure it out one way or the other in the coming days ahead. The Celtics can only hope that he finds decency on the defensive end when the NBA Playoffs arrive.
