Moose a natural fit north of border
Veteran centre agrees on deal to join Raptors
The Moose is now a Raptor.
Eight-year veteran centre Greg Monroe will bring some scoring and rebounding off the bench for the Raptors behind Jonas Valanciunas and possibly Serge Ibaka after agreeing Monday to the veteran minimum of $2.2 million on a one-year deal.
Monroe, who split last season between Milwaukee, Phoenix and Boston, averaged 10.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 20.4 minutes. He has averaged 13.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game since being drafted seventh overall out of Georgetown by the Detroit Pistons in 2010.
The six-foot-11, 265-pound big man would have been a major addition in the old NBA, but his function is limited in today’s quickerpaced, three-point-happy league. Monroe excels at scoring or passing out of the post, but is not a three-point threat and isn’t much of a defender.
Despite losing Jakob Poeltl in the Kawhi Leonard trade and Lucas Nogueira, who remains unsigned, Toronto is deep up front with Valanciunas and Ibaka considered best at centre and Pascal Siakam angling for a bigger role at power forward. New head coach Nick Nurse also thinks OG Anunoby has a significant advantage on offence as a power forward and Leonard is capable of playing there at times, too, so it could be a juggling act for the coaching staff.
Still, as long as Monroe is happy not playing much — or at all — at times, he will provide the Raptors with another weapon.
Monroe had his moments in 26 regular season games for the Celtics, but was a non-factor in the playoffs last season as the team advanced to the conference final, averaging only 9.5 minutes and 4.8 points per game.
His only previous playoff experience went quite a bit better with Monroe taking it to Valanciunas and the Raptors in the first round of the 2017 playoffs, averaging 13.2 points (third best on the Bucks), 7.3 rebounds (second) and 1.3 steals in the six-game loss.
The New Orleans native turned 28 in June.