Celtics Greg Monroe finally gets to practice with team


This is not simply about acclimating a new player to a team and a new system. It is also about changing the system somewhat. Greg Monroe has three games with the Celtics under his belt and now he is practicing with them. He brings an accomplished low-post game to Boston, and now his teammates need to integrate his low-post skills into their offensive schemes.


Greg has had to learn on the fly but now he can settle down a bit. Learning where Moose likes to get the ball to initiate his moves is critical. An Al Horford/Greg Monroe pairing in the frontcourt needs to be tried. Al leads the team in assists and has the ability to get the ball to Monroe in the right spots. The guards, Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier, can do the same, but it will take a little time before it flows. Here is MetroWest's Scott Souza on Greg's integaration with the team:

“It’s hard to try to learn on the fly in the game,” said Monroe, who signed a one-year contract with Boston after reaching a buyout agreement with the Phoenix Suns two weeks ago. “We’re trying to win games. You can’t really do trial and error right now. It’s good to be in practice where there are no consequences. I can learn some things.”

Monroe, who has averaged 13.9 points and 8.7 rebounds for his career, said picking up the defense been easier than picking up the offense because the rotations are similar even if the language isn’t all the same. But integrating a traditional low-post player like Monroe on offense could be an added challenge for a team that generally looks to play with high pace and space the floor.

Thinking back to the Celtics past, former-Celtics center Al Jefferson, had a solid inside game, and he was followed by Kevin Garnett who was dangerous down low and outside. Look for a few changes in Boston's offensive schemes, particularly after the All-Star break. Once Moose is on the loose in Boston, expect some old-style, in-the-paint hoops. I'm with Tommy Heinsohn and Brother Andrej. Attack the paint!

Follow Tom at @TomLaneHC

Photo via Instagram@celtics

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