Atlanta Hawks: 8 Big Men Free Agents Hawks Should Sign
By Chris Guest
Noah Vonleh
Noah Vonleh of the New York Knicks was able to resurrect his career on the worst team in the NBA last season, and that’s no small feat.
Vonleh was one of the few Knicks who brought energy, intensity and a hard-nosed attitude every night (rookie sensation Mitchell Robinson being another), and Vonleh was extremely effective across 68 games played – which were his most since his second and third seasons in the NBA in Portland.
During the season Vonleh played 1722 minutes and produced a block rate of 2.5 percent, a steal rate of 1.1 percent, an assist rate of 11.1 percent and a rebound rate of 16 percent. With that all-around production, Vonleh joined an exclusive list among player in the 2018-19 season that includes Anthony Davis, Nikola Vucevic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jusuf Nurkic and Karl-Anthony Towns.
That’s fairly impressive company for a 23-year-old big man that can switch across multiple positions on defense.
Though he’s not the best rim protector due to a 6-foot-9 height, his 7-foot-4¼ wingspan helps to cover up his lack of size, and his muscular 250-pound frame allows him to bang with some of the burlier big men down low.
Beyond that, Vonleh showed a willingness to step out beyond the three-point line more than ever before this season on the way to a career-high 31.1 percent three-point attempt rate on a total of 137 tries from long-range.