Ranking the Roster 2016: Monroe No More

With 48% of the vote, Greg Monroe has been named the sixth most valuable Buck.

As one of the most sought-after free agents in the Summer of 2015, Milwaukee was able to beat out New York, Los Angeles, and Portland, signing Moose to a 3-year max-level contract. There was rejoicing in the streets and a song in Bucks fans' hearts, as our team was finally able to nab a notable free agent over conventionally "more attractive" destinations.

That song quickly turned sour, as Greg Monroe turned out to be...exactly who Greg Monroe has always been. A skilled scorer, Monroe gets buckets in the post and cleans the defensive glass, and throws in some nifty passing to boot. But as a replacement for the dearly departed (to Dallas) Zaza Pachuila on defense, Monroe was...pretty bad. What was worse, though, was that Monroe's preferred real estate was right in the middle of the space on the court that Giannis and Jabari needed to have available.

The Bucks eventually realized that the fit simply wasn't there, even if Moose was a top-talent in the league. Jason Kidd eventually moved Monroe to the second unit, and while Greg may not be accustomed to coming off the bench, it paved the way for Point Giannis to synergize with more springy centers like Miles Plumlee and John Henson more often.

Going into the 2016-17 season, it appears that Monroe will continue to be called upon to score off the bench, rather than from the jump. While this may be the best fit for him on this roster, the lack of return on the initial investment (not to mention his hefty salary) and the uncertainty of Monroe's future (next season is subject to whether or not Moose takes the player option or decides to re-enter free agency) somewhat caps his value to the Bucks.

All in all, sixth is a fair rating for Monroe's value. He's certainly more productive and talented than we give him credit for, but it's clear that his game simply didn't mesh with what the Bucks needed to do last season, and there's no indication that anything will change in the near future.

We're down to five! Oddly enough, the quintet of Giannis/Delly/Middleton/Jabari/Thon has the potential to be a dynamite lineup two years from now, if everybody maxes out their development. Who's the next man out for you?

(Reminder: we're counting down the most valuable players from a roster-building perspective, not just who is going to be the best player next year. So put on your NBA GM hat and consider all the key factors that go into a player's value: past productivity, future potential, contract, age, personality, etc. So to start, pick the player you think is least valuable -- in other words, if the NBA had an expansion draft, who would be the first Bucks player you'd leave unprotected?)

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6. Greg Monroe
7. Mirza Teletovic
8. Miles Plumlee
9. John Henson
10. Tony Snell (Michael Carter-Williams)
11. Malcolm Brogdon
12. Michael Beasley
13. Rashad Vaughn
14. Jason Terry
15. Steve Novak