“That’s one of the things I had to change about my game, me as a person,” Drummond recently told MLive. “That was one of the knocks on me, that I don’t take the game seriously.  People see what they see on the outside but they don’t know how I really feel when I’m playing.  When I’m playing the game, I’m as serious as can be.  But I never really show people how I really feel on the inside, so they think I’m joking around, I’m playing around.  But to me, I’m really playing as hard as I can.”

Personally, I don’t think the rookie big man can show enough emotion on the court in his first year. There are already (unwarranted) comparisons to Darko Milicic, the team’s 2003 top pick and eventual bust. After being used as basically six fouls and a “human victory cigar,” Milicic’s indifference truly surfaced; he pouted on the sidelines and he lacked any real effort in practices or games.

Rasheed Wallace, on the other hand, was a case of potentially too much emotion. When he got flustered on the court, he would have one of two reactions: play harder and smarter, or take out his frustrations on the referees. He took offense to seemingly any event on the court, and that motivation helped him become an unstoppable player… or a detriment to the team.

That type of unpredictability isn’t what Joe Dumars and company are looking for, though. If anything, a combination of the two players would be ideal – serious and focused when needed, but also laid-back enough to not let frustration take over his game. Considering how important Drummond’s development should be to the Pistons, head coach Lawrence Frank will likely make sure to keep a close eye on him.

Here’s their take on Monroe, who ranked above other more-publicized forwards and centers like Amar’e Stoudemire, Serge Ibaka and DeMarcus Cousins:

No. 40: Greg Monroe, C, Age 22, Detroit Pistons

2012 Stats: 15.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 1.3 spg, 0.7 bpg, .521 eFG%, 22.0 PER

Ranking: 42, 36, 51

Monroe has a better-than-decent chance of making the All-Star Game this season. He’s shown considerable development in his early seasons, and with a better Pistons club could be primed for a breakout, especially if rookie Andre Drummond can give Detroit a big man to pair with him. Monroe has a nifty lefty hook, a good combination of moves and terrific footwork. Defense is the real question mark with him, but even that showed signs last season.

The biggest plus is his consistency. He manages to make an impact in nearly every game, and even when he doesn’t contribute to the scoreboard, it’s usually the defense’s focus on him that’s opening things for the other players. The Pistons are Monroe’s team for the foreseeable future.

Watching Monroe play the last two seasons, and reading about the amount of work he’s put in this offseason, it’s hard to disagree with that assessment. With the Pistons having a rough last couple of years, the former Georgetown big man certainly hasn’t gotten as much attention as he probably deserved. With another solid season in 2012, and a smaller amount of All-Star-caliber centers in the Eastern Conference now that Dwight Howard is gone, Monroe could take a big leap.

Like their review says, this will be Monroe’s team for the foreseeable future. He’s emerged into the leader that Joe Dumars surely hoped he would become on draft night, although he might not have expected him to become arguably the best player from that class. Either way, if the Pistons hope to return to relevancy, they will continue to build around Monroe.