Atlanta Hawks: 12 Potential Targets in Free Agency
By Chris Guest
Noah Vonleh
23-year-old Noah Vonleh, the former 9th overall pick of the Charlotte Hornets, was looking like he might not be able to stick around in the league after a star-crossed first 4 seasons.
Vonleh bounced around from Charlotte in his first year to the Portland Trail Blazers in his second and third before being traded to the Bulls in his third year. This year, with the New York Knicks, Vonleh seemed to put it together in a major way.
Vonleh produced career-highs across the board in all major categories: Points per game (8.4), rebounds per game (7.8), assists per game (1.9), steals per game (0.7) and blocks per game (0.8), while playing a career-high 25.3 minutes per game – for another career-high of 1722. Vonleh slashed 47/34/71 in terms of his shooting, and his 56.1 percent true shooting percentage was easily a career-high.
Vonleh’s ripped physique and burly frame (6-foot-9, 250 pounds) combined with his quick feet and ability to defend in space means he can guard a variety of players – though he mostly split his time between power forward and center.
Despite being in the league for 5 seasons, Vonleh will only be 24 next year – meaning he would fit into the Atlanta Hawks plan of youth-oriented rebuilding. As an unrestricted free agent, it is likely that many teams will look into signing Vonleh to a reasonable deal.