Setting the Moose loose helps Raptors win second leg of back-to-back games
TORONTO — Nearing the fourminute mark of the second quarter against the Utah Jazz on Monday night, Nick Nurse had a feeling he needed a backup plan at centre.
Cue Greg Monroe.
The mix of Jonas Valanciunas and Serge Ibaka in that role has been a revelation so far this season. Toronto has reaped the benefits of one of Nurse’s major moves since taking over as head coach, with the two big men combining to average 31.6 points and 14.6 rebounds a game.
But early in Monday’s game, it didn’t quite look like their night — though they would eventually combined for 28 points and 11 rebounds.
Valanciunas had played hard on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. He worked more than 13 minutes in the first half against the Jazz, going 2-for-7 with three defensive rebounds and a foul. Nurse saw some fatigue in the 26-year-old.
Ibaka still had a hot hand but sat after racking up three fouls early in the second quarter.
So, Nurse looked down the bench to the veteran Monroe with 3½ minutes to play before the break.
“That’s kind of what Greg’s there for,” Nurse told reporters in Salt Lake City following the game. “He’s that third insurance policy guy and that just felt like the right moment, and he did a good job.”
Monroe played a season-high 13 minutes 38 seconds, about five minutes longer than his previous three appearances combined.
Having an 11-year league veteran on the bench is a luxury that has been easy to overlook during the Raptors’ 9-1 start. Dividing the five spot between Valanciunas and Ibaka has limited what was already expected to be minimal playing time for Monroe when he signed a one-year, US$2.2-million deal in early August. But getting back on the court for a substantial shift looked like second nature to the seasoned big, who is nicknamed Moose. He helped the Raptors go on a 15-6 run to close out the first half, adding four points and two rebounds. They never looked back after taking that lead.
“He knows what he’s doing. He’s not afraid with the ball. He’s going to put his body on people,” Nurse said.
Erratic playing time was something Monroe had last season, when he bounced from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Phoenix Suns to the Boston Celtics.
“It’s just no ego,” Monroe said of Toronto’s second unit after training with them this past summer. “That’s all you ask for when you’re playing with anybody.”
In return for sacrificing minutes, Monroe knew he would be coming off the bench for a perennial playoff team. A team he believes has a shot at a championship.
So, when Monroe was asked months ago why he chose the Raptors, his answer was simple: “Why not?”
So far, this backup plan seems to be working well all around.