Noah Vonleh is blossoming in Portland's starting lineup
Before this season began, Noah Vonleh was viewed as a long-term project, still years away from meaningful contribution on a winning NBA team. But after Meyers Leonard went down with a shoulder injury, Vonleh was inserted into Portland's starting lineup and his development accelerated.
Now, he's one of the Trail Blazers' most important defensive players, with an all-around game that's evolving every night. Here's more from The Columbian:
In 213 minutes as a starter, Vonleh is shooting 53.3 percent. In 144 minutes off the bench, he's shooting 29.6 percent. Clearly, he's more comfortable blending in with superior talent. That's a great sign for Portland.
The biggest change has been on the defensive end where the Blazers, who are currently ranked 24th out of 30 teams in points allowed per 100 possessions, have a defensive rating close to the league average with Vonleh in the starting lineup. Vonleh brings the Blazers another dimension on the defensive end with the ability to stay with smaller players on the perimeter, the length to bother shots as well as energy and strength on the glass. “He’s agile, he moves his feet well,” Stotts said. “He really works hard at doing everything right. He’s really attentive to what our coverages are, he talks out there and he’s not consumed with touches and scoring and everything.”
