Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways From Win Over Portland Trail Blazers
By Adam McGee
Moose On The Loose
Teletovic was not the only player to bring the energy on Tuesday, as even on a night when he really struggled to finish around the rim, Greg Monroe looked like a man possessed.
Of course, this isn’t a new development at this point to talk about Monroe showing greater desire and effort than seemed remotely plausible last season, but it’s important to note just how far that’s elevating certain elements of his play.
Monroe had nine rebounds on the night, and although he’s always been a good rebounder it seems important to note just how Monroe was securing those loose balls off the glass on this occasion.
Moose is known for using his size and strength to establish position inside and corral rebounds, but on this occasion he was crashing the boards like a totally different player.
Six of Monroe’s nine rebounds came on the offensive end, with three of them coming from instances when he burst through a swarm of bodies to pluck it out of the air. No matter what my eyes might be telling me, my brain realizes that Greg Monroe hasn’t suddenly become more athletic. Instead, it all boils down to desire.
It’s no secret that Moose has never been to the playoffs, but he’s on the right track to put that right. As he told Charles Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
"“That’s everything right now for me. That’s why I play and something I’ve been trying to do since I got into the league. To be in this position right now, I’m excited about it.”"