I completely disagree with this. When not picking in the top 3-5 picks (when picking a potential franchise player), it should almost always be about need first and foremost. There's not enough depth in almost any draft to be basing your team around the 9th pick in the draft. If you are, you are in for a LONG rebuilding process. Especially on a team established with a core in place such as the Jazz do. Draft a player that fills a need and is able to contribute right away, not on a hypothetical that this may be the most talented player available. Monroe isn't good enough to reshape a roster around him. We're not talking about John Wall here...
I second this opinion.
Furthermore, how does Monroe improve the Jazz in the short or even long term?
Does anyone realistically see him playing in front of Millsap or AK47 next year at the 4? Perhaps in the future, maybe. But even then, is he or Millsap going to be the "franchise" PF? Doubt it. Millsap is too small and Monroe is too slow (and soft).
Monroe does absolutely nothing to improve the Jazz. He gives us nothing that AK47 (passing) and Millsap (scoring) can't give us.
He can't play the center spot. Predicting him to be Bogut is hilarious. If he does, if you thought Boom Bitches and John Amachi were soft, wait until you get a good look at Monroe.
Again, every year there's a few players that the media falls in love with. Monroe, a big, skilled bigman without toughness or passion. Many of these players are taken, very few ever pan out.
cali's comparison of Monroe to Spencer Hawes isn't a bad one. Quite honestly, the Jazz don't need someone like Hawes. A selection of Monroe all but guarantees another lottery pick next year, a pissed off Deron, and a franchise in need of some answers. Losing potentially Boozer and Korver, with Memo's uncertain future with the only gain being Monroe is a very scary thought.