National Basketball Association

Trail Blazers: Has Noah Vonleh Arrived?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Noah Vonleh made an impressive preseason debut for the Trail Blazers in their victory over the Suns.

It is important to stay grounded when looking at preseason results, but it is hard to stay modest after Noah Vonleh‘s breakout performance last night. The 21-year-old finally showed why the Hornets selected him at number nine in the 2014 NBA Draft. While his fourteen points and fourteen rebounds are impressive on their own, the game clinching manner in which they occurred make them even more special.

Having Vonleh develop into a legitimate option in the front court could give Neil Olshey (GM) the lifeline he has been seeking. With heavy investments already made in other parts of the roster, a long-term option in the post has yet to be secured. Mason Plumlee is currently entrenched as the starter, but his future with the team could be in question when you look at Portland’s salary cap situation moving forward. Outside of Plumlee, the Trail Blazers are still waiting on Festus Ezeli to make his first appearance in front of the home crowd.

Getting meaningful minutes out of Vonleh in the final two years of his rookie deal would allow the Trail Blazers to operate near the luxury tax line and possibly stay below it (thus avoiding all the costly penalties that come with exceeding it).

Then again, last night should be taken with a large serving of salt. There is no problem with getting excited about Vonleh’s performance, but it did come against some very raw competition. Consistency will be the next step, so we will have to see what Tuesday’s contest against the Lakers brings to the table. Until then, go ahead and indulge yourself and jump on the Vonleh bandwagon.