Toronto Raptors: Whose stock is rising/falling, including C.J. finds his shot

Greg Monroe – Stock Down

Expletive, expletive, expletive. Literal human disappointment. I’ll try not to be as harsh as I possibly could be but Greg Monroe had a week worth forgetting. It could also be the week that defines his role on the team once Jonas Valanciunas returns, and wow, that return can’t come soon enough.

This column was once an ironic lover of big Moose, we loved his ability to work the offensive glass, his natural instincts to finish around the rim and his, occasionally, above average passing. His fit on this team was always questioned, though. A bench unit that loved to play on the break and force turnovers, every player on the bench unit could defend their position, to some degree. Even Valanciunas, who has quietly become a solid defender, could provide some sort of positive impact on defense. His replacement, Greg Monroe, cannot.

In so many words, Greg Monroe is the “Die Hard 5” of defense. A cauldron of inactive limbs and slow, but certainly not methodical, mechanics. Teams game plan for the exact moment Monroe comes on to the floor, all eyes avert to the rim. Their gaze unhindered by this vertically unchallenged, almost constantly grounded, big man. Monroe has a tendency to break down every defensive assignment he’s given, whether it’s defending a basic pick-and-roll or closing out on a three-point shot after a botched rotation, Moose will let you down.

Monroe accumulated one single point in his last three games and went 0-7 from the field. I’m not talking about this anymore, just give the minutes to Chris Boucher. I tried to be nice.