3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks blowout win over Portland Trail Blazers

Greg Monroe made his (second) debut for the Milwaukee Bucks and looked… solid?

The Moose was loose for the Bucks yet again as Greg Monroe made his reintroduction to the lineup after signing a 10-day contract earlier this week.

The new, slimmer Monroe flashed some of his new agility but also looked a little less powerful inside.

He got his first bucket on a putback off a Giannis Antetokounmpo miss and picked up a steal off Anferenee Simons, who tried to isolate him on the perimeter and it led to a Pat Connaughton transition 3.

He finished the debut with six points, six rebounds, one assist, and the steal mentioned above in 15 minutes as the backup big man.

There were moments where the slimmer Monroe couldn’t do much of anything in the post, which is a bit of an issue since that’s his bread and butter. However, you saw the improvement on defense where he was way more mobile and looked more comfortable defending on the perimeter.

It will be interesting to see how the Bucks handle Monroe and this 10-day deal as we reach the trade deadline in a few days. There’s a need for some sort of rotational big man to some degree to bridge the gap until Lopez is ready (who will be getting a check-up on his back in Los Angeles), but if Monroe impresses enough, perhaps it will be him?