Behind the Bucks Pass
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Milwaukee Bucks: The Ongoing Reinvention Of Greg Monroe

By Jordan Treske

Dec 28, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) looks to drive the ball as Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond defends during the first quarter of the game at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Leon Halip-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) looks to drive the ball as Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond defends during the first quarter of the game at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Leon Halip-USA TODAY Sports /
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At long last, questions regarding Greg Monroe and his fit with the Milwaukee Bucks are becoming a thing of the past, and his inspired play this year has been integral to the team’s success this year.

Months after becoming the Milwaukee Bucks‘ biggest signing in franchise history, Greg Monroe was virtually persona non grata.

His arrival in Milwaukee had failed to spark the team taking the logical next step after the unlikeliest of seasons, and as the reality of last year would sink in game by game, much of the blame was rooted on his shoulders.

As a result, the question of his fit with the Bucks became a topic of endless discussion, with the general consensus being the Bucks would be better off facing the facts and moving on from their landmark acquisition in Monroe. For more than a few reasons, that didn’t end up happening over the course of the offseason and Monroe entered this year still in Milwaukee.

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Fast forward to current day and most, if not all Bucks fans now see Monroe in a new light.

Even without their most indispensable player of the last two seasons in Khris Middleton, the Bucks have kept their heads well above water, with a record of 18-18 on the year to date. More importantly, the star of Giannis Antetokounmpo keeps rising to new heights, with Jabari Parker‘s not all that far off in his own right.

After the team’s bright young stars is where we have Monroe, who has been essential to the team’s ongoing success so far this year.

Now in his new role coming off the bench, Monroe has been very effective in limited minutes.  Per 36 minutes, Monroe is currently averaging 18.1 points per game, 11.9 rebounds per game and 4.1 assists per game.

Add in his efficiency (Monroe’s averaging a true shooting percentage of 56.9 percent), Monroe has been the perfect spark plug for the Bucks when he’s been on the floor. Where the story with Monroe has changed significantly this year lies on the other end of the floor.

Still the same burly, bruising presence, Monroe’s notably revamped himself to suit the team’s active and aggressive defensive scheme.  Regularly playing with great energy and most importantly, active hands, plays like this have gradually become the norm for Monroe when he defends in space.

Again, by per-36 minutes, Monroe is currently averaging 2.3 steals per game and his 3.2 steal percentage ranks as a career high by as significant margin.

As Monroe’s defensive impact has significantly increased, so has the team’s defense overall as they currently rank 11th in defensive efficiency, per NBA.com/stats. Although the unleashing of Giannis has been a big reason for that, Monroe’s own improvements have had a huge effect on the team’s defensive resurgence.

Among centers, Monroe currently ranks sixth in RPM (2.91), ESPN.com’s Real Plus-Minus projection system and his DBPM (Defensive Box Plus-Minus) estimates to 3.1 points per 100 possessions (per Basketball-Reference.com), which is by far a career high.

Overall, Monroe’s contributions give him the highest net rating of anyone on the Bucks, standing at 9.9 points per 100 possessions. Conversely, he’s one of three Bucks to have a negative net rating when he’s off the floor, the other two being Giannis and Jason Terry.

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Admittedly, there’s a lot of numbers here to digest, but it’s quite a remarkable turnaround for a player who was routinely maligned for the majority of last year.

For all the constant back-and-forth over his fit with the team, from both a local and national level, Monroe continues to silence any of the criticism that used to revolve around him with his play this year. He’s more than just fitting in with the team and he’s excelled in his complementary role this season.

Even with all of the optimism everyone had over the signing back in July 2015, no one could have envisioned this version of Monroe or at least him becoming a legitimate two-way player to this degree.

Of course, Monroe’s rejuvenation creates a whole new host of questions, some of which the team’s front office might not have anticipated heading into the year. Without sinking ourselves too deep into the many ramifications (as well as not breaking my New Year’s resolution of talking about trade rumors regarding him), Monroe could certainly take them down a much different path than they were planning over the next few months.

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But for now, it’s all about more of the same for both Monroe and the Bucks as they continue to surprise with their play this year. As we wait to see how it unfolds, the legacy of the franchise’s biggest signing stands to have a different impact than we all imagined not long ago.

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