Greg Monroe is preparing to play power forward in case Andre Drummond and Slava Kravtsov secure available minutes at center.

“They basically said I need to be prepared to play power forward,” Monroe said after a lengthy workout at the Pistons’ practice facility. “They’re looking for at least one of those guys to be ready, so I’ve started to prepare myself to be ready to play the four. We’ve been working on stuff to have me in those positions.”

Monroe feels the transition from center to power forward would be smooth, especially on the offensive end.

“It’s very OK with me,” he said. “With us there’s not that much of a difference, anyway. I’m not really worried about the transition. I’ve been playing power forward and center all my life, so I’m comfortable with playing either. I’m comfortable with the ball in the mid-post and at the elbow. Defensively, maybe that would be the only thing – guarding different types of players. I would have to scout more, learn the guys’ tendencies. It would be different footwork, moving your feet more.

“But I’m ready for the challenge. Like I’ve always said, I’m here to do whatever my team needs me to do. Defense is the staple of this organization. It’s what coach L is trying to do, so I’m just here to work as hard as I can to get better at that, too.”