The Case for Bringing Greg Monroe off the Bench

Detroit Pistons power forward Greg Monroe has started in 277 of his 309 regular-season career games, including every game in each of his last three seasons.

So now might seem like an odd time for the 24-year-old to do otherwise.

But as his team attempts to improve upon a trying 29-win season, the possibility of a shake-up appears to be acute as ever—particularly under new head coach and team president Stan Van Gundy. Detroit's 111-109 overtime preseason victory against the Chicago Bulls featured a starting lineup that included Brandon Jennings, Jodie Meeks, Caron Butler, Josh Smith and Andre Drummond.

No Greg Monroe.

Hours prior to the game, Van Gundy insisted that we shouldn't read into the decision.

"It'll be different every game in the preseason," Van Gundy told reporters, via Vincent Goodwill Jr. of The Detroit News. "Seriously, it was random as much as anything. We knew the 10 we wanted to play today. But it was pretty random."

Of his rotation, Van Gundy added, "We'll keep tinkering until we get it the way we want it."

Already, though, the tinkering has highlighted a potential solution to last season's ill-fated decision to start a trio of big men: Monroe, Smith and Drummond. Both Monroe and Smith are best-equipped to play the 4, and any game plan driven by sound logic—rather than perceived entitlement—will require one of them to come off the bench.

In the end, maybe it won't be Monroe. 

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After the preseason match with Chicago, he certainly didn't seem concerned.

"I don't have to handle it, I just have to play," he told media (via Detroit Bad Boys). "That's not going to change, whether I start or whether I come off the bench, that's not going to change the way I play. So, you guys might worry about it, but all I'm focused on is being on the court."

Earlier in October, however, Monroe offered a more direct opinion, even speculating that his decision to accept a one-year qualifying offer this summer might impact his role with the team.

"I hope everything that's given here is earned," he said, per The Detroit News' Vincent Goodwill Jr. "If [Van Gundy] has to bring someone off the bench, I would just ask that you do it purely on what people have done on the court. My only question is, if I signed the extension, what would it be then?"

It's a fair question, but—if we're being honest—Monroe's reticence to reach a long-term agreement with the organization probably should factor into the lineup equation.

After the 2014-15 campaign, Smith still has another two years and $28 million remaining on his contract. Van Gundy has every reason to integrate him into his system and offer him the kind of prominent role that might allow him to thrive for the remainder of his deal.

At this point, the organization's priority should be making the most of an investment who actually wants to be in the Motor City.

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Monroe—on the other hand—has all but purchased his ticket out of Detroit, citing the franchise's new regime as cause for hesitation on a more protracted commitment.

"It's no disrespect to the people working here but it was just tough for me to agree to another four years with new people," Monroe explained, according to Goodwill. "Honestly, if you were to ask the average person would they do that in the arena they're in, they'd say no."

The four-year veteran added that he had nothing but positive feelings for the city and its fans. 

In this case, the issue was the Pistons themselves.

Just how bad does Monroe want out? Enough, apparently, that he'd delay a significant payday in order to preserve his free-agent flexibility in the summer of 2015—the byproduct of accepting that one-year qualifying offer rather than accepting an extension this summer.

"For Monroe, this is a bold step that few have taken before him," Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski wrote in September. "It brings with it significant financial risk if he suffers a serious injury this season and loses market value. Nevertheless, Monroe has wanted out of Detroit, where he was drafted in 2010, and he'll get his wish next summer."

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Indeed, Monroe has wasted little time developing and pursuing an exit strategy. He apparently hoped to find a new home during the offseason as a restricted free agent.

The Washington Post's Michael Lee reported in August that, "Monroe and his agent, David Falk, never sought an offer sheet from another team but pursued sign-and-trade proposals with at least five other teams, including Portland and Oklahoma City, according to person familiar with the discussions."

That sounds like a far more aggressive approach than the wait-and-see posture Monroe claims to have taken. By all accounts, his one-year arrangement with the team has more to do with facilitating a transfer than sizing up the unknown quantity that is Stan Van Gundy.

As an unrestricted free agent in 2015, Monroe can sign a contract with another team without the looming fear that Detroit could match that offer and retain his services accordingly.

This is his endgame. 

Even if owner Tom Gores publicly hopes otherwise.

"Greg's a great player, not just a good player," Gores told reporters at the team's media day in September (via Goodwill). "We want Greg to be on board for a long time. We'll have a good enough season where we'll attempt to do that.

"We talked to his representatives. We said how much we respected Greg as a person. But ultimately it's Greg's choice. We were disappointed we couldn't make the ultimate deal, of course. Just because we didn't make the deal isn't the end all."

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It's a nice thought, but Gores is especially right about one thing: It is indeed Greg's choice.

And it will remain that way in 2015.

In turn, it makes little sense for Detroit to build around Monroe, especially with Smith around until at least 2017.

Particularly optimistic fans may protest that the Pistons should give that oversized front line another chance—even if Smith spent his summer preparing for action at the power forward spot. Unfortunately, those fans probably weren't paying close attention last season (and who can blame them?).

The Smith-Monroe-Drummond lineup wasn't effective on either end of the floor.

The Pistons ranked 24th in effective field-goal percentage and just 29th in true shooting percentage, per Hollinger Stats. And defying expectations that the added size would stifle opposing offenses, Detroit also ranked 27th in both points allowed (giving up 104.7 per contest) and opponent field-goal percentage (at 47 percent). 

Something has to give, and it might as well be Monroe.

For what it's worth—not much—Monroe did tally 24 points and nine rebounds coming off the bench in Detroit's first preseason game. There's something to be said for having a talented sixth man who could put up those kind of numbers this season.

It's not a matter of punishing Monroe for taking that qualifying offer. It's about doing what's best for the franchise—both now and in the near future. 

Whether Monroe is part of that future or not.