Milwaukee Bucks Roster Ranking 2017: Sixth Man Greg Monroe Checks in at Number 6

We are on the precipice of the Top Five of our rankings and Greg Monroe finds himself on the outside looking in at number six, just like he did in last year’s rankings. He saw a reduced role from the 2015-2016 season and made the most of what opportunities he had. Despite not starting a single game, Moose has found himself ranked higher than wing, Tony Snell, who appeared in the starting lineup for almost the entire season.

Monroe’s 2016-17 campaign saw an overall decrease from his 2015-16 stats, but only looking at his season through that lens does Moose’s season a disservice. He averaged 7 fewer minutes a game during last year’s go around, which saw his Offensive and Defensive Ratings take a microscopic dip. When Monroe saw time on the court the Bucks overall ORtg bumped up nearly six points as did the total rebounds and Effective Field Goal Efficiency. Moose was a perfect bench piece to come and bring some brutishness to the post. Thon Maker would get the starting nods as the season progressed, but Monroe was right in the mix during crunch time and helped solidify the Buck lineup.

His importance to the team’s late season playoff surge did not go unnoticed towards Sixth Man of the Year voting. Moose finished, appropriately enough, in sixth place and was even earmarked as a dark horse candidate to win the award at the end of the season. This blurb from Hoops Habit highlights Monroe’s successful season embracing his role as the primary bench option:

Greg Monroe is a dark horse for the 2016-17 Sixth Man of the Year award, and his candidacy deserves a little more attention than it’s received... Monroe was one of the most consistent performers for the Milwaukee Bucks this season, averaging 11.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals in just 22.5 minutes per game... Monroe was a focal point for the Bucks whenever he entered the game.

As Thon Maker ’s development progresses and Giannis Antetokounmpo and D.J. Wilson play the hybrid-4 position, it will be interesting to chart Monroe’s court time as his already shrinking minutes could evaporate even further. There’s no doubt that Moose will bring his new found defensive intensity to the floor, but his stats could continue to dip which won’t paint the whole picture of what Monroe brings to the table.

Monroe opted in on the final year of his deal and it will be interesting to see where he ends up after this campaign. I would love for the front office to re-sign Moose, but with the younger guys coming off their rookie deals in the future, Monroe’s hypothetical future contract would muddy those financial waters (unless he signs for crazy cheap). This is where the tragic trio of terrible contracts (especially Henson’s) comes to bite the Bucks in the butt. I will enjoy watching the good first name haver come off the bench and bring his enforcer like qualities to the paint for as long as he dons a Buck uniform.

Brew Hoop 2017-18 Roster Ranking

6. Greg Monroe

7. Tony Snell

8. D.J. Wilson

9. Matthew Dellavedova

10. Sterling Brown

11. Mirza Teletovic

12. John Henson

13. Rashad Vaughn

14. Spencer Hawes

15. Gary Payton II