Detroit Pistons: Why Greg Monroe Can Be a Top 10 Center by the End of the Season

Greg Monroe was chosen with the seventh pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. In Georgetown, Monroe was a big body who was very versatile and did a lot for the Hoyas.

In Detroit, Monroe had struggles in his first few months of the season. As time went on though, the coach felt very confident in Monroe, playing him much more than before. In the last three months of the season, Monroe averaged 13.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. In most of these games he was the starter.

As a starter, Monroe averaged 12 points and nine rebounds. It would only be right to put Monroe as the starter for this upcoming season, and it will pay off well for the Pistons.

If Monroe wants to be a consistent threat in the league, he has to work on a couple parts of his game. One of these is his post game. Monroe has the ability to play in the post, but he needs to add some polish to it. A little more bulk and some new moves would do the trick.

Another issue is his consistency from the free throw line. Monroe shot 62.2 percent from the free throw line last season, making about two of his shots for every three times he was on the line. 

As a big man it is easy to draw fouls, so one thing Monroe should work on is the ability to draw fouls consistently. With that, his free throw attempts might go up, and therefore his free throw percentage.

One thing Monroe does need to work on is his shot blocking. Standing at 6'11 and weighing in at around 250 pounds, Monroe is big, and he can fear the opponent. He averaged 0.6 blocks per game last season—that number should be higher.

He did average a very nice 1.2 steals per game, which is something that many big men do not accomplish in a season.

Monroe is gaining the experience and maturity that he needs to become a better player. If he continues to work on everything he needs to little by little, he could be a top 10 center in the NBA by the end of this season.