Milsap is a damn good defender. Used properly, our P&R defense would improve immensely. You'd have to "hide" Monroe though
You underestimate Millsap's defense. He led the entire league in Defensive Win Shares, was 3rd in the league in Defensive Box Plus/Minus and was the only payer in the top 10 in both BLKs and STLs. He's also very good at defending the pick-and-roll. Yeah, Monroe sucks on defense, but Millsap was 5th in DPOY voting for a reason. I'd MUCH rather have Horford/Millsap than Mornoe/Millsap, but even Monroe/Millsap would be an upgrade to our front court at both ends of the court. BNM
I wasn't underestimating Millsap. My mind was trying to imagine the wet-paper obstacle that Lillard, CJ and Monroe would put up regardless of the other two players on the floor. I really like Millsap but while is a solid man defender, it it was he and Monroe there is no rim protection to speak of. Aminu would probably be the best shot-blocker in that line-up.
Millsap was 8th in the league in BLK/G and 5th in total BLKs. He only had 9 fewer total BLKs than Ibaka and over 2.5x as many BLKs as Aminu. In terms of BLKs/36, Millsap was at 1.9 compared to 0.8 for Aminu. Of course, as you mentioned, Millsap's defense would be offset by Monroe's lack of, but with Millsap and Aminu, at least we'd have two good defenders in our starting line up. Again, all the more reason, Horford would be my first choice. He's not an elite rim protector, but he's decent (top 20), but he's one of the best bigs in the league at defending the pick-and-roll, and that's where Dame and C.J. need the most help. If there is anyway we could get both Horford and Millsap, to go along with Aminu at the 3 and suddenly defense goes from a weakness to a strength. The same wold be true if we added Horford and Jimmy Butler. Start Butler at the 3 and Aminu at the 4 and you still have 3 very good defenders at the 3, 4 and 5 spots. Which is why I rate Monroe way down on my list of summer targets. He improves our options on the offensive end, but you need to pair him with a stud defender, and even then, you'd barely be treading water on the defensive end. BNM
I'm aware of the numbers, I just don't think from an 'eye-test', Millsap is who you have as the anchor of their defense and if that is the case, you probably aren't going to be an elite team. Also, how does that continue as he is on the wrong side of 30? Now if you combined him with a center NOT named Monroe who he could team with defensively, now I think you have something pretty special for at least a year or two.
His defensive numbers have improved with age. He will eventually decline, but he's not there, yet. He may not be flashy, but his 6.0 Defensive Win Shares led the entire league. Simply replacing Noah Vonleh with Paul Millsap would be a huge upgrade at both ends of the court. Paul Millsap: OWS = 4.1 DWS = 6.0 WS = 10.1 Noah Vonleh: OWS = 0.0 DWS = 1.1 WS = 1.2 If we bring in Monroe, I could see a center by committee where he splits time about equally with Mason Plumlee. Still not nearly as good as having a two way player, like Horford at center, but Millsap would be such a huge improvement at PF, treading water, or slightly improving at center, wouldn't kill us. I'd LOVE to upgrade two of our three frontcourt positions, but even a significant upgrade at one of the positions would be a step in the right direction. BNM
You and I would be an upgrade over the young Vonleh at this point...not much of a comparison as I'm sure you would agree. Historically I just don't see a lot of players who are going to turn 32 getting better and are much closer to the decline than the upswing. Father Time remains undefeated.
You would consider getting Horford and Millsap a "meh" summer? Because that's what Dviss said and that's what I was responding to.
If they include MCW i'd make the trade and call it a summer. Monroe as a starting PF, MCW in a 3-guard rotation with Dame and CJ. Then sign our own free agents. Good enough for me
Maybe in previous years I would have been OK with Monroe, but knowing that the Dubs aren't about to pack it in anytime soon, and how porous Damian and CJ are on defense, there' no way you can play this guy in the playoffs and have it be anything other than a net negative -- he'd get pick-and-rolled to death. Yes this team needs some interior scoring, but even more this team needs a bonafide rim protector, preferably a freak athlete with a ten foot wingspan and the lateral foot speed of a wing (no idea how we get one of those, but trading what precious few assets we have for a plodding offense-only big is not a plan).
Larry Sanders and Greg Monroe. Larry Sanders and Marvin Williams. Larry Sanders and Kevin Love. Howard and Love.
If the Blazers could get Sanders on an inexpensive, incentive laden deal, I'm all for that. No doubt about the talent, it's about his basketball desire. More production, more money. That should be the way it is anyhow.
Re: Monroe. I think there is a place for a good-passing, good-to-great back to the basket player, even if they can't play D. But I think it's as a spot player, somebody to bring in when it works, but not as a key starter or even rotation player. Would Monroe accept that? Even if so, he's way overpriced for that role. I'd much rather target Marjanovic, because he's ideally suited for that role. (And is also taller so can just be a defensive presence merely by raising his humungous arms.) Compare their per 36 stats.
Well, we were discussing earlier in the thread that there could be a scenario where we can't get someone to commit, the Bucks are willing to trade him for cap space, and someone offers a big contract to Crabbe or Harkless. If that were to happen, and it was a case where we could either use the cap space to acquire Monroe for nothing, or lose it when we match Crabbe/Harkless, then I would be fine using the cap space to bring in Monroe. Our space is gone after this summer anyway.
