I would not give up on Vonleh until you are forced to commit major bucks to him. He has the perfect size and skill set. He just needs to get it into games. The position would really be best for someone who can hit a decent % from three, average or plus rebounder, plus defender, etc. Layman could end up there. Mirotic could be a decent choice. Any interest in trying to revive Terrance Jones?
In what ways? To me, he still looks like exactly the same player that was thrust into the starting line up early in his second season. He's started 72 games since, and still looks like the same player to me. He looked decent in summer league and dominated the PHO teenagers in one preseason game, but I've yet to see him show any improvement against real NBA players. He's started 72 games for us at PF and has ZERO double:doubles and has scored in double figures exactly five times, with his high scoring game as a Blazer being 11 points. For as much shit as Meyers Leonard gets around here, at least he manages to pull a double:double out of his ass a couple times a year and goes off for 16 points a couple times a month. Vonleh's best game as a pro was 16/12 as a rookie in CHO. He hasn't come close to that since. So yeah, I'm not seeing the improvement. I wish I was, but it's just not there. He's still young, but we used to say that about Meyers, too. BNM
Vonleh looks like he is slowing down a bit, so that's good. In reality, Layman might be a good fit with Nurkic....as a tryout, anyway
It's a shame Ivan Rabb will probably be as big a project as Vonleh is, he's friends with Lillard and was his neighbor. The dude would be perfect and probably around for our first pick. We probably need someone that can help quicker than he can with that pick though, maybe we'll get lucky and he'll drop to our second pick.
TRB% = 17.3 is good, above average, but not elite. His TRB% his rookie year was 18.3%. So, still not seeing any improvement. BNM
Not a bad idea. But I doubt Chriss is available. If we trade for a young PF, do we want another in the draft? I think we need a vet and a rookie.
I posted this earlier in another thread. Here is a look at Vonleh's per-36 numbers over the past 3 years: Pts, Reb, Blks, and PER have all dropped since his rookie year. TOV have increased. I know he's still young, and has tremendous physical attributes. But at some point he needs to start showing improvement and earn his minutes. Some PFs high on the draft board: - Robert Williams (Fr). TX A&M. 6-9, 237 lbs. 11.9 pts, 7.8 reb. - Harry Giles. Duke (Fr). 6-10, 240 lbs. 4.9 pts, 4.1 reb, 0.5 blks. - Lauri Markkanen (Fr). Arizona. 7-0, 230 lbs. 15.6 pts, 7.5 reb, 45.5% 3pt. - TJ Leaf (Fr). UCLA. 6-10, 225 lbs. 17.0 pts, 8.8 reb, 1.1 blks. - Ivan Rabb (So). Cal. 14.6 pts, 10.7 reb, 1.2 blks. With picks around 12 & 22, we should have a swing at a couple of these prospects.
He is top 30 in the nba. Maybe not elite but closer than most. Maybe I am wrong but that rookie year would have been in such limited minutes that it would not qualify for award status (if there was such an award for the top 30 in the nba) This years would. I not saying he improved in my response. I saying he has one skill (which may not be enough. Not pretending it is) that is very good. Maybe something to build off of. Or not. Time will tell.
That's a really fascinating thought. I've never thought of Layman as anything else but a 3, but perhaps he would be effective as a stretch 4. Seems to me that he would be a bit too light to be effective in that role, that he would get pushed around by other teams' bigs, but his predraft measurements are comparable in size to guys like Ersan Ilyasova and Thaddeus Young, so...maybe?
Being the 30th best rebounder, when you're a starting PF, is hardly elite.' Sort that same list by TS% and Vonleh is dead last and by a huge amount (.463, second worst is .495). Sort it by PER, again Vonleh dead last at 8.3, second worst is 13.3. He is easily the worst starting PF in the league. BNM
He is a sophomore, and his numbers show more skill than a project. It isn't inconceivable (yes, I know what that means) that Rabb could get up to speed in a year or two--in time for the real window.
I didn't say elite PF in the NBA. I said very good rebounder. That list has Centers on it too. Which of course you would expect to do well (and they are well represented). I saying that Vonleh shows up at all is a miracle and something good (when nothing else is).
If we aren't happy with Aminu as our stretch 4 long-term then why would we be with Layman? Because we assume he will be able to shoot at some point I guess?
I've always said Vonleh is an above average rebounder, but he sucks so incredibly bad at everything else, having him on the court is a huge net negative (-11.2 PTS/48, that's twice as bad as Meyers). BNM
That would be the primary difference. And honestly, Aminu hasn't played the past 2 games, so we have yet to see Aminu and Nurkic on the floor together. Who knows, maybe they mesh seamlessly and we already have the PF we need.
You didn't. Someone else did. He's not. That's the problem, he's abysmal at everything else and has not shown any improvement in his (many) areas of weakness. When you suck as bad as Noah does at everything else, there is nowhere to go but up, yet he hasn't. Does anyone here actually think Noah Vonleh is the answer to our problems at PF? I sure don't. He seems to be more like the problem than the solution. BNM
And @Boob-No-More I was the one that agreed that Favors is a good target so not like I am banking on Vonleh. He should not be starting at all. I am fine with him doing it this season though when there really isn't much to be worried about.