• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

Let's talk about the return of Damari Monsanto

DeacsATS

DeacsATS

Sam "Ace" Rothstein
Joined
Nov 16, 2011
Messages
16,416
Reaction score
7,551
Location
Atlanta, GA
Sounds like Monsanto will be playing this season, perhaps as soon as a week or two from now. Would like to hear what others think about this development.

How do we think he'll fit into the current rotation? Where do his minutes come from?
Any concerns that is coming back too soon? Or that it messes with chemistry?
How long will it take for him to shake the rust off in game action?
What does it do for your expectations for the season?

I'm excited to see him on the court. I think he'll fit in well and I have no concerns about his health. While he had a major injury, if he's ready to go then he's ready to go. From what I've been told by doctors and physical therapists (I've asked a number of acquaintances about it, I shit you not), everyone recovers on a different timeline and it's doubtful that he has an elevated risk of re-injury.

How he fits into the rotation is more of a question mark for me. If nothing else, he instantly provides more depth and gives us another 3pt shooter & rebounder.

I assume Monsanto and Sy will be the first two guys off the bench, with Hildreth perhaps taking a bit of a step back. I also think Mucius will play a little less than his current 26.6mpg. LaRavia probably sheds a minute or two per game, as well. But the upshot is, with someone who can play minutes at 2-4, Mucius and LaRavia can afford to be more aggressive on defense.

Should immediately make us a better team and I'm fired up for it.

 
He is 6'6 225 so he will help at both forward spots.

He is a good shooter and scorer off the dribble.

Leg injury, so not sure how good he will be on defense, or on the glass.
 
Anyone listen to the Steve Forbes show tonight?

He said Currie asked him to ride the Harley on the field last year for ESPN Gameday. He declined but did add that he might have popped the clutch and run over Herbstreit.

The antithesis of the two morons who preceded him.
 
The easy answer for where he fits in the rotation is that he’ll take most of Hildreth’s minutes. The hard answer is to how many more minutes he’ll take from Whitt, Williamson, and Mucius. I assume he’ll free up Williams to play fewer minutes too.
 
TheAbster said:
Anyone listen to the Steve Forbes show tonight?

He said Currie asked him to ride the Harley on the field last year for ESPN Gameday. He declined but did add that he might have popped the clutch and run over Herbstreit.

The antithesis of the two morons who preceded him.
Click to expand...

I hope Clawson heard that.
 
I don't really know my ass from page 8...but you might figure Monsato will be eased in gradually. 15 regular season games remaining. He should be a nice addition. We could use another shooter. Hope he stays healthy. I keep thinking about Mike Soroka.
 
TheAbster said:
Anyone listen to the Steve Forbes show tonight?

He said Currie asked him to ride the Harley on the field last year for ESPN Gameday. He declined but did add that he might have popped the clutch and run over Herbstreit.

The antithesis of the two morons who preceded him.
Click to expand...

Words cannot express how much I have a mancrush on Steve Forbes.
 
Hopefully he can play effectively enough to lighten ManMan’s load by the time we get into mid-February.

Obviously not to be as effective as Williams, but a competent piece allowing Forbes to get some rest for ManMan.
 
If we can get 4-5 decent minutes per half from him it will be a big help. Expecting anything further coming off an Achilles tear is probably asking too much
 
My expectations are low. Not because of his talent, but there are a lot of unknowns. He is coming off a serious injury and won't be fit for awhile. I expect he will need to be having some great practices before seeing any kind of real minutes.

Positives from ETSU play
- His numbers were better against conference opponents than weaker occ opponents
- Can shoot decently well from 3 (.358). TBH, I think his shooting is being oversold on the boards based on how I have seen him described. I was expecting like a .380+ shooter based on descriptions here. He would be fourth on the team right now based on last year's %. That is decent, but not a huge game changer since he is probably taking minutes mostly from Mucius/Jake?
- Very good on the defensive boards
- Very low turnover %
- Almost an 80% FT shooter

Question marks
- Is he a good defender? I have no idea. Nothing jumps out on block or steals #s. He doesn't commit a lot of fouls
- His 2pt% was low (.474). Only Whitt has a lower percentage on our team now of guys who play any minutes
- He doesn't draw fouls or get to the line much relative to his overall scoring

I have not seen him play at all. Just based on his numbers, they are similar to Mucius, but he is a much better rebounder and worse shooter. At the very least, he would be a solid rotational guy, and we don't need him to contribute like he did for ETSU last year, where he was a regular starter. I would like to see his defense against ACC-caliber players, if that sticks out at all. His biggest contribution may be rebounding, but I wonder if that will dip against ACC competition. Overall, I am excited to have him available as we get into the meat of the ACC season, as we need more bodies. Daivien back too will be big.
 
He just needs to be better than Whitt and Hildreth at this point.
 
PhDeac said:
He just needs to be better than Whitt and Hildreth at this point.
Click to expand...

I don't see him taking many minutes from Whitt. Whitt is a pass first point guard. That's not Monsanto. He'll compete with Hildreth for those minutes, and if good enough, he'll get a few from Manman, giving a little more rest. 4 to 12 minutes per game.
 
I suspect he will make a gradual integration to the rotation. How much he plays will depend on his defense. The numbers suggest he can rebound and score. He has shown an ability to get hot and carry a team over multiple games, so I won't be surprised if he occasionally has an impact off the bench that will will make a difference between winning and losing. Great size at the two. Forbes clearly trusts his upperclassmen and will depend on them for the success of the team. Adds size and depth at the two or the three to provide shooting and rebounding. He hasn't played or practiced since the injury and will need to adjust to the size, speed and skill of ACC play.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top