With the 9th pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets selected forward Noah Vonleh.
At 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, Vonleh has incredible size and length, to go along with an impressive basketball IQ, making him a very intriguing prospect. He may not have filled up the stat sheet in his only season at Indiana (11.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG), but Vonleh’s upside was obvious throughout the year.
Vonleh is a scrapper inside who is not afraid to do the dirty work. On top of that, he has a smooth outside shot that will likely get better as he matures as a player.
It may seem trivial, but Vonleh’s hands measured at an incredible 11.75 inches at the draft combine in Chicago, second biggest in the history of the combine. His enormous hands and great arm length makes Vonleh an intimidating presence on the defensive end of the court.
At only 18-years-old, Vonleh has a ton of room to grow. He will certainly see the court in his rookie season, but the Hornets do have the depth to give him time to grow. Time is something that Vonleh could use as he is a little raw as a prospect.
While he is not an elite-level athlete, Vonleh does have skills that could make him a force in the NBA. His incredible size, tougness and outside shot add up to at least a solid NBA player.
The Hornets now add Vonleh to their exciting young roster. With Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker leading the way, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bismack Biyombo and Vonleh developing, the Hornets could quickly become contenders in the weak Eastern Conference.