Noah Vonley is ready.
Most of the off-season boston celtics I was looking for some extra frontcourt help (outside of the Ime Udoka situation).and soon Danilo Gallinari When robert williams collapsedit should increase by a factor of 10.
There was no one on the market who could have replaced what Williams brought. Sam Hauser looks ready to step into a big role like Gallinari, but the Celtics still need help with the five. Luke Cornette was supposed to step in but, sprained ankle at training camp He has been forced to miss all of preseason so far. Blake Griffin is also in town now, so that’s another option.
And then there’s Vonley.
He’s poised to be the 3rd (or 4th) string center for a championship-class team, but he’s really not much sought after. The 27-year-old isn’t perfect, but he’s hungry for another shot in the NBA. And in training camp so far, he’s done exactly what the Celtics needed.
Over three preseason games, Vonley averaged 7.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in 15.6 minutes of action per game (83.3% shooting from the field). Clearly, that efficiency isn’t sustainable, but his play proves he’s ready to play in Boston’s rotation this year if needed (even if his minutes are minimal). ).
The first thing that pops off the page is his rebound. In his one-time start for Boston this preseason, he recorded his 13-hit rebounding performance and, other than Griffin (who only played one game), led the team in rebounding so far. Leading.
It can seem like a boring skill to have. Big men should rebound basketball. But it’s a commodity worth having on the roster for a Celtics team that struggled to corral the board at the crucial moment last year. is the tallest player at 6’10.
But height isn’t the only thing that makes him a better rebounder. No matter where he is on the court, when the shot goes up, Vonley sniffs out rebounds and fights past opponents who get in his way. His 7-foot-4-inch wingspan also helps with this. toronto raptorsVonley never lived up to expectations in the league, but he was always a good rebounder. Over the course of his seven seasons, he currently has more rebounds than points in the NBA.
Annoyingly, Vonleh doesn’t offer much out of the ordinary. Based on his preseason performance, he’s pretty one-sided. He can run the pick and roll, he can throw lobs, and he’s a pretty strong player. But he’s not his spacer on the floor. The Robert of the World He’s not extremely athletic like Williams or Bam Adebayos, and he doesn’t have a wide variety of post moves. But it’s okay.
Vonleh plays with a mix of dynamic scorers and above-average playmakers every time he gets playing time. With Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White and Peyton Pritchard on the roster, he doesn’t need to create an offense of his own.
His 83.3% field goal percentage may not be sustainable, but given the shots required of him, there’s no reason he can’t shoot more than 70% from the field. The only time he takes a shot is when he’s wide open under the rim.
This is where 90% of Vonleh’s points occur. He’s not looking to create an offense for himself, but if someone is on the court to feed him with cutoffs or pick-and-rolls, he’ll be fine. A perfect finisher. What he needs is someone to put the ball in the right place.
On the defense side, there are definitely some questions. Boston’s defense last year was very successful as everyone was able to defend everyone. Not so with Vonley. He’s not all-around capable of keeping guard on the perimeter all the time. That puts him a bit behind Al Horford and Grant Williams.
This is a perfect example. When a talented guard like LaMelo Ball gets a screen with Vonleh guarding a screener, he knows he has the space to work. Vonleh retreats and Ball sinks a nice floater down the lane.
Boston has enough talented defenders to make up for Vonley, but the lack is definitely notable as the Celtics have to get around it.
It’s Boston trying to cover Bonley. Williams shifts over to guard Terry Rozier from the perimeter instead of Bonley getting up from the switch paint. The ball is left wide open at his line three-pointer, forcing Bonley into no man’s land. Mason Plumlee could have rolled, so Vonley covered it, but in the Celtics’ switch-everything defense, the big guys and guards usually swapped places, putting Hauser on Plumlee.
That being said, he can defend the post pretty well. He’s not going to stop Joel Embiid, but he can hit low.Vonley has a solid build and is a very positional defender.
There’s also the issue of his illegal screens. He was caught several times in his second game against Boston. Charlotte Hornets, moving its legs instead of planting itself. Some calls could go either way, but it’s a skill he has to work on anyway.
He can also tackle the seal of Daniel Theis, as he became known in Boston, where Vonleh almost reached the spot but was eventually whistled for a foul.
But for all of his skills and shortcomings, the most important aspect of his game to watch is the energy with which he plays. Vonleh does not stop play. When he’s about to make a comeback in the NBA, he can’t stop playing. He hustle, play hard, and make sure to bring energy whenever he’s on the court.
But at the same time, he’s not the flashiest player. Rob, Block, and intensity have fans enamored of Muffiondu for his Kabengele, but Vonley was the quieter, more effective big man.
Kabengele already has a two-way contract, so his place in the team is secured. Vonleh still has his Exhibit 9 contract, which means he’s competing for a spot on the roster every day. And looking at the body of work so far this preseason, Kabengele may have the highlights, but Vonleh has the results. He’s not going to build his SportsCenter, but he does all the little things Boston needs from the big guys off the bench on the court.
Of course, there are some limitations to be aware of. Against the Raptors, he didn’t get much playing time. He can’t keep up with guys like Pascal Siakam and Scotty Barnes, with Nick Nurse occasionally rolling out at 5. But he plays traditional bigs like Plumlee and Nick Richards. Against the Hornets, Vonley works well.
Mazura seems to trust him too. He has been a big part of the rotation in his two games with the Hornets. Boston was missing a starter in one of his games, but even in the games they played, Vonley scored his 15th minute of play.
Of all the training camp players on the Celtics roster, Bonley is the most NBA-ready and not particularly close. As it stands, he is Boston’s 14th (and possibly last) roster spot. should be a strong candidate for
