Good Write Up On Monia...
Ziggyblazer, from the Oregonlive Blazer forum found this write up from Draft Express on Sergey Monia. Very nice!
"Monya could be viewed as a player that is just a step before breaking out in one of the most competitive European Championships of all time. After being selected low in the first round of the NBA draft in 2004 by Portland (which was quite a surprise, as many expected him to be a lottery pick), Monya combines not only the physical attributes and raw skills that a modern basketball player needs in order to shine in any type of competition today, but also the maturity that a young player needs to present in order to be trusted with rising responsibility despite his youth.
Monya is a 6-8 swingman who has been known for quite some time as a very solid role player for European powerhouse CSKA Moscow during the past three seasons. The 22 year old has improved over the past few years and did it patiently, accepting the limited minutes that the team offered him, as they were using veteran players at his position to try and realize their lofty Euroleague goals.
Monya was just a useful bench player this past season in CSKA, despite high expectations of becoming a starter and breaking at the European level before making the jump to the NBA. Although he was somewhat of a disappointment during the season, Sergey has been very good in his national team preparation games this August, looking ready to continue his very good tradition at this level, after a steady and impressive first experience in Sweden two years ago. Using his very strong legs, he is a very effective defensive player, whose body is well built and difficult to overrun by most offensive shooting guard/small forwards in European basketball. Sergey’s decision making on both sides of the floor is rational and rarely hurts the team, which is critical for such a young player his age to make an impact at this level.
Offensively, he can be very impressive. He is a solid shooter, a very good slasher and an impressive dunker. What could be characterized as a problem is his often-seen hesitation to take over the team's leadership, something which is not exactly unexpected when considering the presence of two alphas such as Andrei Kirilenko and J.R. Holder in the Russian team.
Both him and Viktor Khryapa are going to be Kirilenko and Holden's supporting cast, but for Russia to go deep in this tournament, they will need to step up, take more shots, play tough defense, balance out the ball-movement and provide leadership, as they could both probably start at the 2" and 3 spots for Russia. Monya will be playing next year for Portland in the NBA and his maturity and durability in this tournament will be a great test for next season, along with a terrific opportunity to give the Trailblazers a taste of what they can expect starting in October. Portland representatives will reportedly be on hand in Serbia and Montenegro to evaluate the progress of their back to back first round picks in 2004, Monya and Viktor Khryapa."
"Monya could be viewed as a player that is just a step before breaking out in one of the most competitive European Championships of all time. After being selected low in the first round of the NBA draft in 2004 by Portland (which was quite a surprise, as many expected him to be a lottery pick), Monya combines not only the physical attributes and raw skills that a modern basketball player needs in order to shine in any type of competition today, but also the maturity that a young player needs to present in order to be trusted with rising responsibility despite his youth.
Monya is a 6-8 swingman who has been known for quite some time as a very solid role player for European powerhouse CSKA Moscow during the past three seasons. The 22 year old has improved over the past few years and did it patiently, accepting the limited minutes that the team offered him, as they were using veteran players at his position to try and realize their lofty Euroleague goals.
Monya was just a useful bench player this past season in CSKA, despite high expectations of becoming a starter and breaking at the European level before making the jump to the NBA. Although he was somewhat of a disappointment during the season, Sergey has been very good in his national team preparation games this August, looking ready to continue his very good tradition at this level, after a steady and impressive first experience in Sweden two years ago. Using his very strong legs, he is a very effective defensive player, whose body is well built and difficult to overrun by most offensive shooting guard/small forwards in European basketball. Sergey’s decision making on both sides of the floor is rational and rarely hurts the team, which is critical for such a young player his age to make an impact at this level.
Offensively, he can be very impressive. He is a solid shooter, a very good slasher and an impressive dunker. What could be characterized as a problem is his often-seen hesitation to take over the team's leadership, something which is not exactly unexpected when considering the presence of two alphas such as Andrei Kirilenko and J.R. Holder in the Russian team.
Both him and Viktor Khryapa are going to be Kirilenko and Holden's supporting cast, but for Russia to go deep in this tournament, they will need to step up, take more shots, play tough defense, balance out the ball-movement and provide leadership, as they could both probably start at the 2" and 3 spots for Russia. Monya will be playing next year for Portland in the NBA and his maturity and durability in this tournament will be a great test for next season, along with a terrific opportunity to give the Trailblazers a taste of what they can expect starting in October. Portland representatives will reportedly be on hand in Serbia and Montenegro to evaluate the progress of their back to back first round picks in 2004, Monya and Viktor Khryapa."
posted by Phatguysrule at 9:14 AM
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