The steady improvement of Noah Vonleh

[illmatic99]

I think he can be our CotF

Here's an interesting comp:

Noah:
Height w/o shoes: 6'8
Weight: 247 lbs
Wingspan: 7'4.25
Standing reach: 9'
Max Vert: 37"

Al Horford:
Height w/o shoes: 6'8.75
Weight: 246 lbs
Wingspan: 7'0.75
Standing reach: 8'11
Max Vert: 35.5"

Noah is just a beast physically. Compares very favorably with guys like Draymond and Derrick Favors as well.

 

[BonesJones]

I think he can be our CotF

Here's an interesting comp:

Noah:
Height w/o shoes: 6'8
Weight: 247 lbs
Wingspan: 7'4.25
Standing reach: 9'
Max Vert: 37"

Al Horford:
Height w/o shoes: 6'8.75
Weight: 246 lbs
Wingspan: 7'0.75
Standing reach: 8'11
Max Vert: 35.5"

Noah is just a beast physically. Compares very favorably with guys like Draymond and Derrick Favors as well.

You say he's our CotF but then compare him to 3 PFs... I don't get it.

 

[MickZagger]

You say he's our CotF but then compare him to 3 PFs... I don't get it.

Horford's been a Center pretty much his entire career.

 

[illmatic99]

You say he's our CotF but then compare him to 3 PFs... I don't get it.

Time for a @KingAlbertoJrSpeed special, "learn the game..." post.

Horford/Favors/Draymond all spend time at both PF and C. Horford has become a C altogether since Zaza left. Favors plays C whenever he doesn't play with Gobert. Don't need to elaborate on the matchup problems Draymond causes when he's their small ball C.

With the way the NBA is going, Noah has the length and strength to play C. He's already our best rim protector in limited minutes. Need to see what he's gonna be on offense, but even draftexpress had him at PF/C in 2014. We need to get a look at him there.

 

[illmatic99]

Pretty damn accurate:



Really intriguing prospect whether he ends up at C or PF (it's all semantics anyway). Dude occupies a spot on the floor on both ends where we need some massive help. Might be time to increase his minutes.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

Yup; Vonleh's defense now is already above Meyers's ceiling.

I know it was just a few games but Leonard showed some flashes against Gasol in the playoffs. If he could ever conjure up what was ever possessing him in the playoffs he could be a very good player.

Sadly I doubt he will do it as a Blazer, some team will pick him up this summer and he will evolve. Tis the Blazers luck.

 

[BonesJones]

Horford's been a Center pretty much his entire career.

He's been playing out of position pretty much his entire career.

Time for a @KingAlbertoJrSpeed special, "learn the game..." post.

Horford/Favors/Draymond all spend time at both PF and C. Horford has become a C altogether since Zaza left. Favors plays C whenever he doesn't play with Gobert. Don't need to elaborate on the matchup problems Draymond causes when he's their small ball C.

With the way the NBA is going, Noah has the length and strength to play C. He's already our best rim protector in limited minutes. Need to see what he's gonna be on offense, but even draftexpress had him at PF/C in 2014. We need to get a look at him there.

Learn the game? Huh?

Just because they play center in small ball lineups doesn't mean they're centers

I never said Vonleh couldn't play center.

I just pointed out the irony in you claiming him as CotF while comparing him to natural PFs.

 

[rasheedfan2005]

sbnation shows zbo's wingspan at 6'11" with Vonlehs at 7'3". Im also willing to bet Vonleh's ass is every bit as wide and mack truck thick as Zbo's was at 20.

@KingAlbertoJrSpeed can you tell these fools vonleh has the better ass and squash this discussion please?

 

[Natebishop3]

What an interesting thought..... Noah as the coach of the future? I would need to hear him break down some film before I'm on board.


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[TBpup]

It is nice to see more people finally joining the band....welcome.

 

[HailBlazers]

Really intriguing prospect whether he ends up at C or PF (it's all semantics anyway). Dude occupies a spot on the floor on both ends where we need some massive help. Might be time to increase his minutes.

IMO one of the reasons he's steadily improving is his balance of minutes. Just enough to garner experience. Not too much to hurt his confidence.

 

[BBert]

The fact Noah doesn't try to do too much is a very good sign, IMO. It appears he is given a specific task on which to focus, and he does so. He doesn't hurt the team while he's out there, and the things he's supposed to do, he does. If he makes a couple of mistakes, he finds the bench before he goes off the rails. So far I've never seen him get as sideways as Meyers does from time to time. I think he's going to make it.

 

[Dan Marang]

This is just a random question, but with further development, could you see vonleh turning into our pseudo version of Draymond?

That seems like an awful big stretch. I don't mean that as a negative to Vonleh, I just don't see him as that kind of player. Vonleh doesn't have the mobility, handle, or passing ability of Draymond- and I don't think he's being asked to do those things. What I think Vonleh has the potential to be (and better than Draymond in these areas) is a good-great rebounder on the defensive end, a solid PnR defender, a decent weak side shot block, an apt rim protector, an offensive threat out and up to the 3pt line and someone with a capable post game. I see him as someone who's more free throw line and in on defense, with the ability to come out and switch from time to time on the PnR and force a smaller player to the baseline (much like Aldridge did). Something that needs to be considered here is that Vonleh is a big kid. For all of Draymond's growth, his actual physical size hasn't changed- he's still very undersized for the position which is (in part) what enables him to do the things he does.

TL;DR I don't think Vonleh = Draymond and I don't think he should be compared b/c they're different players

 

[blue9]

IMO,Vonleh's ceiling could be Ibaka/Jerm. I don't think he'll ever be a primary option on offense like Jerm was in IND, but could see him eventually having an Ibaka-like role in the offense. But he has a long way to go on offense.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Vonleh's shown some clever moves on offense (including a couple of whirling dervish post moves), but he's not being scouted for in the least. But we didn't need Buck Williams to score 20 a game; we needed him to shut down opposing forwards.

 

[Natebishop3]

Vonleh's shown some clever moves on offense (including a couple of whirling dervish post moves), but he's not being scouted for in the least. But we didn't need Buck Williams to score 20 a game; we needed him to shut down opposing forwards.

He NEEDS to hit more swish3s.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

He NEEDS to hit more swish3s.

He shoots swish3s like he makes swish3s... they just aren't swishing.

 

[theprunetang]

He NEEDS to hit more swish3s.

Exactly. The recent addition of the swish3 to the rulebook has changed everything. Terry needs to hire a good swish3 coach or hit the road packing.

 

[Natebishop3]

Exactly. The recent addition of the swish3 to the rulebook has changed everything. Terry needs to hire a good swish3 coach or hit the road packing.

Since Leonard is the king of swish3s, he can show Vonleh the way of the swish3

 

[theprunetang]

Since Leonard is the king of swish3s, he can show Vonleh the way of the swish3

Myers Leonard: player coach. Of course!

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Averages over Vonleh's last 5 games: 7.8 pts, 6.2 reb, 68% fg in 20 mpg. That's basically 14/11 per 36. Pretty short list of players who have done that for a season shooting better than 60%. Even shorter if you look at players under 7 feet tall.

http://bkref.com/tiny/BuEJp

Let's hope he can keep it up.

 

[Scalma]

The draymond comp isn't that bad. Vonleh has a motor, he can move like a SF, he's got strength to handle himself in the low post, and he attacks the boards. The shooting isn't there but I watched him in college and summer league, I know he can shoot. It's just a matter of confidence. The bball IQ/passing that draymond has is something I'm not so sure about yet when it comes to Vonleh. But he's only 20! Draymond was still in college at that age.

 

[illmatic99]

Averages over Vonleh's last 5 games: 7.8 pts, 6.2 reb, 68% fg in 20 mpg. That's basically 14/11 per 36. Pretty short list of players who have done that for a season shooting better than 60%. Even shorter if you look at players under 7 feet tall.

http://bkref.com/tiny/BuEJp

Let's hope he can keep it up.

And nearly a block and half steal a game in his limited minutes. I'm looking back at my Horford comparison for him. Physically, they're nearly identical. Skill wise, Noah looks just like him.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

The statistical comp brought me to (I think) a really solid comparison from our past: Otis Thorpe. Take a look at his rookie season (age 22) and compare to what Vonleh is starting to develop into, and think about Thorpe's game. Based on his current development, I see Thorpe (basically a solid 17-10 guy for 8 years, with solid defense) as a mid-line projection for Vonleh, and I don't think I could really complain about that.

 

[Schilly]

I don't see the ZBo comparison at all. I think people try way too hard to compare a player to a former player of the same team that they look through a very narrow lens. BTW Zbo at 20 was thinck because he was fat... just plain old fat. Noah isn't remotely fat. Noah is a far better athlete in terms of overall mobility, sure Zach had good handles and great spin moves, but that's not what I see of Vonleh.

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't see the ZBo comparison at all. I think people try way too hard to compare a player to a former player of the same team that they look through a very narrow lens. BTW Zbo at 20 was thinck because he was fat... just plain old fat. Noah isn't remotely fat. Noah is a far better athlete in terms of overall mobility, sure Zach had good handles and great spin moves, but that's not what I see of Vonleh.

Zach was also just a naturally gifted scorer from the very beginning. He had a nose for the ball, and he was extremely difficult to defend. If you put someone big on him, he'd out quick them. If you put someone smaller and quicker, he had the size to overpower them. I do see some of his quickness in Noah though.

 

[Schilly]

Zach was also just a naturally gifted scorer from the very beginning. He had a nose for the ball, and he was extremely difficult to defend. If you put someone big on him, he'd out quick them. If you put someone smaller and quicker, he had the size to overpower them. I do see some of his quickness in Noah though.

I see the quickness, its a different quickness though.

 

[Natebishop3]

I see the quickness, its a different quickness though.

Zach also has/had that money mid-range jumper. I'd love to see Noah develop something like that.

 

[0-Our!]

The draymond comp isn't that bad. Vonleh has a motor, he can move like a SF, he's got strength to handle himself in the low post, and he attacks the boards. The shooting isn't there but I watched him in college and summer league, I know he can shoot. It's just a matter of confidence. The bball IQ/passing that draymond has is something I'm not so sure about yet when it comes to Vonleh. But he's only 20! Draymond was still in college at that age.

Draymond was a decent passer last yr. but this yr., he's improved even more; this (he's gone on record as saying) can be attributed to him watching a ton of tape over the summer; I think our guy Vonleh can watch tape too IDK if he'll ever reach Draymond level of passing BUT anything even close would b awesome!

 

[0-Our!]

And nearly a block and half steal a game in his limited minutes. I'm looking back at my Horford comparison for him. Physically, they're nearly identical. Skill wise, Noah looks just like him.

I've liked the comp but Noah is & will b more mobile/speedier