Charlotte Hornets: Noah Vonleh Assigned To D-League
By Jon Shames
The Charlotte Hornets have decided to part ways with Noah Vonleh — at least, temporarily.
Earlier this week, Hornets rookie Noah Vonleh (out of Indiana), was assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League.
The move came as a bit of a surprise, although it really shouldn’t have been; Vonleh, although a top-10 pick in the 2014 draft, was barely getting any playing time under Steve Clifford, and perhaps rightfully so. The Hornets are attempting to make a push for the playoffs and don’t have much room for error, so even playing P.J. Hairston — another rookie who is much more NBA-ready — is somewhat unexpected.
Vonleh, who was (ironically) drafted higher than Hairston, has yet to find any sort of traction at the NBA level. He was projected a raw, high-upside talent after his first year with Indiana, one in which he didn’t have an outstanding season number-wise, and that description has been dead-accurate thus far.
Even in the summer league, Vonleh struggled, unable to find his niche. Unfortunately, as a tweener, there’s no telling exactly what his role at the NBA level would be. His potential for that versatility makes his upside even higher, but it also (potentially) leaves more room for confusion and error.
The Hornets have played 31 games, but Vonleh has only appeared in four. Some of this can be attributed to his health issues — he’s been sidelined numerous times already with nagging injuries — but there is a clear and obvious distrust of Vonleh by Steve Clifford:
"“It’s the speed of the game: to play consistent, regular minutes you have to have a comfort level with how the NBA game is played,” Clifford said. “Unfortunately once the season starts you only have certain stretches of the year where you can practice a lot.”"
The Hornets have been struggling, going 10-21 through the first two months of the season. There is a big push for a playoff appearance by owner Michael Jordan, and at this point, it seems that the team’s front office is willing to do whatever it takes to make that goal a reality. So with that, it’s easy to see why Clifford, still a relatively unproven head coach whose job could be at stake, would be hesitant to play his unpolished and role-less rookie.
It’s important to note, however, that this is not the team giving up on Vonleh. Plenty of players are assigned to the D-League, especially those who are struggling to find minutes at the professional level. There is, without a doubt, still hope within the organization that Vonleh can be a great player down the road.
"“He’s a 19-year-old who missed all of September, when the foundation was put in, and all of October and is now playing catch-up…The thing that gives him a chance is he’s very gifted and a great worker. But it would be tough for anybody to catch up quickly after missing his rookie preseason.”"
Vonleh impressed in his D-League debut, posting 12 points in just 16 minutes of action. He was visibly more comfortable and composed than he was during his Summer League stint, looking for his own shot offensively and playing active and mobile defense.
"“We believe Noah would benefit greatly from additional game experience,” Hornets’ General Manager Rich Cho said. “He will be able to get that playing time through this D-League assignment.”"
Vonleh is one of the Hornets’ many high-upside prospects, but he very-well may have the highest potential out of all of them. For his sake, the Hornets’ sake, and the NBA’s sake, let’s hope this D-League assignment pays dividends.