Sometimes players slip during the NBA draft just enough to considered a steal. These players, if they pan out, become dark clouds over the franchises that passed on the opportunity to draft them. The Golden State Warriors reached for Ekpe Udoh at No.6 in the 2010 NBA Draft, and Georgetown center Greg Monroe fell to the Detroit Pistons at No. 7. His selection by the the Pistons could not have left boosters at SBNation's Casual Hoya more pleased:
The Pistons have to be ecstatic right now. Their front office should send a nice fruit basket to Don Nelson and the rest of the Golden State Warriors braintrust. I'm pretty sure Ekpe Udoh means "D League Bust" in other languages. On talent alone, I really believe that Monroe is only behind John Wall, Evan Turner, and DeMarcus Cousins in this draft. Now, you have to take Cousins' talent with a grain of salt because he is a few krispy kremes and screws loose away from being Stanley Roberts and Ron Artest, respectively. I think Favors is a watered down version of Monroe, he just had one less year for NBA scouts to pick him apart. And Wesley Johnson is a nice complementary player, but I usually like my swingmen to be able to dribble. Therefore, the Pistons lucked into the third most "sure thing" in this draft at #7. Monroe is too talented as a passer, too smart a person, and too dedicated a worker to have anything less than a productive 10+ year career in the NBA.
As I said initially, this is a wonderful night for Monroe, Georgetown and Detroit. Greg gets to go to an organization with Joe Dumars as its GM, an organization that went to six straight conference finals from 2002-2008. Initially, he will be asked facilitate, rebound and block shots - three things he does very well - while Gordon, Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince handle the scoring load. Detroit gets the most fundamentally sound big man to come out of college since Tim Duncan. And DaJuan Summers gets a fellow Hoya to sit on the plane with. This pick is a victory for all involved, but most of all, FOR AMERICA.
Making fun of the Warriors is quickly becoming a new meme. All kidding aside, I'm glad that Monroe ended up in a well run organization. He could (and should) immediately transform the Pistons' moribund front line.