No.9 Pick : Noah Vonleh

[MadHatter]

How awesome is this pic!?!?!? 

 

Makes me feel old though to consider that he was 6 years old when teh Hornets last played in Charlotte.

 

Looks like his suit is about 2 sizes to small.

[KendrickPanther]

The only thing I don't like about this is his age. He still has a lot to learn about basketball and life and by the time he's running on all cylinders he could be a free agent.

[Omega Atrocity]

So who starts, Zeller or Vonleh?  

McRoberts

[JJman]

Trade Zeller, bring back McRoberts!

[teeray]

Trade Zeller, bring back McRoberts!

Draft in Vonleh does give us some flexibility to trade Zeller.

I think we should just save money and let McBob go, but we could still re-sign him and collect assets through a Zeller trade.

[rmoneyg35]

Yall don't think Zeller could have a break out year? He was improving late last season. What if he does start and shows out? Being the 4th overall pick, I don't want to regulate him as a role player just yet. It will be interesting to see the competition between former Indiana players.

I think having great depth with different types of players at one position is great for us to have and right now we have that depth at SG and PF and could have it at SF and pg depending on who we draft. The Hornets could be nasty next year especially if are young players continue to improve.

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[TheMostInterestingMan]

So who starts, Zeller or Vonleh?

Don't be surprised if we take a veteran like Gasol or bring back McBob on a two year rental while they develop. Both are VERY raw players right now and this team is trying to win now. Two years down the road, I personally think Vonleh can become a force for us and Zeller provides the ability to backup 4 and 5 in spells.

[YoungPanthers89]

Seeing videos of this kid makes me excited. He has all the physical tools to be a high level player in this league right off the bat.

[Fan01]

I could see Zeller and Vonleh on the floor at the same time in the future.  In 4 years Big Al will be 34.  Zeller will be 25 and Vonleh 22.  If Vonleh can become a LaMarcus Alderage he could easily play center and Cody stays at the 4.  I think Cody is going to excel at taking guys guarding him off the dribble.  I don't know if Cody will ever have the body/toughness to really play in the post with his back to the basket. 

 

In 4 years.

 

Starters:

Kemba - very, very good but not All-Star

Zeller - PF.  Boaderline All-Star

Vonleh - Center - A beast.  One of the top players in the game.

Hairston - SG. Very, very good player. Tough as nails.

MKG - He's fixes his shot.  Can almost score at will. Finals MVP when we win back to back championships in 2017 and 2018.

 

Big Al - Still on the team. Backs up Zeller and Vonleh.  Vet leader and soul of the team.

 

That's my pipe dream.

[Omega Atrocity]

I could see Zeller and Vonleh on the floor at the same time in the future.  In 4 years Big Al will be 34.  Zeller will be 25 and Vonleh 22.  If Vonleh can become a LaMarcus Alderage he could easily play center and Cody stays at the 4.  I think Cody is going to excel at taking guys guarding him off the dribble.  I don't know if Cody will ever have the body/toughness to really play in the post with his back to the basket. 

 

In 4 years.

 

Starters:

Kemba - very, very good but not All-Star

Zeller - PF.  Boaderline All-Star

Vonleh - Center - A beast.  One of the top players in the game.

Hairston - SG. Very, very good player. Tough as nails.

MKG - He's fixes his shot.  Can almost score at will. Finals MVP when we win back to back championships in 2017 and 2018.

 

Big Al - Still on the team. Backs up Zeller and Vonleh.  Vet leader and soul of the team.

 

That's my pipe dream.

Even in 4 years Big Al will only be 33. If he stays here he'll start. His game will stay good well into his 30's as it is based very little on athleticism.

 

Edit: Barring a major injury of course.

[carolina-chuck]

Trade Zeller???? LOL!

STHU guys. We did not spend a 4th round on him to just trade him the next year. Really, who would want him in the first place? Zeller has no value.

[GotSwag?]

I just feel like I'm in a good dream and I will wake up anytime. Back to being the Hornets, awesome jerseys and court, and now a young team that will be very good with 20 mil to spend.

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[Woodie]

Watching that video makes me very happy.  You can tell he has played guard, which will make him a very tough matchup for bigs.  And I was really happy looking at his weaknesses.  Not that I want him to have any, but if he does (which they all do), then these are ones that can be easily corrected. 

 

The two biggest issues are his awareness and technique.  His awareness will naturally improve with experience, not to mention with the tutelage of Jefferson and Ewing...in fact, his style and skills are right up Ewings alley.  And his technique issues are ones that can be coached up.  None of his problems are because of anything he lacks mentally or physically.  He's just a raw kid who has immense physical talent. 

 

And he's nothing like Biz was when drafted despite both having some rawness.  Biz needed to learn the basics of playing the game, but he was picked with the hope that he would develop into a skilled big man.  He really hadn't shown the skillset to be a threat, especially on offense.  Whereas Vonleh already has shown he possesses excellent basic skills to a dominant inside player, he just needs to work out the kinks and gain experience. 

[Woodie]

I could see Zeller and Vonleh on the floor at the same time in the future.  In 4 years Big Al will be 34.  Zeller will be 25 and Vonleh 22.  If Vonleh can become a LaMarcus Alderage he could easily play center and Cody stays at the 4.  I think Cody is going to excel at taking guys guarding him off the dribble.  I don't know if Cody will ever have the body/toughness to really play in the post with his back to the basket. 

 

In 4 years.

 

Starters:

Kemba - very, very good but not All-Star

Zeller - PF.  Boaderline All-Star

Vonleh - Center - A beast.  One of the top players in the game.

Hairston - SG. Very, very good player. Tough as nails.

MKG - He's fixes his shot.  Can almost score at will. Finals MVP when we win back to back championships in 2017 and 2018.

 

Big Al - Still on the team. Backs up Zeller and Vonleh.  Vet leader and soul of the team.

 

That's my pipe dream.

 

I agree that Zeller and Vonleh will be able to coexist as starters.  But while they may be listed at C or PF for box score purposes, I think they would be playing interchangeable roles.  Both having similar skill sets and styles will allow them to switch up between PF and C, depending on matchups.  Especially in todays game where there are fewer traditional centers. 

 

The thing is they both have the size (Zeller the height and Vonleh the weight, once he fills out) to be tough on the inside on both ends of the court.  And both can take it outside and make the mid-range to deep ball with consistency.  IMO, Zellers biggest problem last year was his lack of strength, but with an entire offseason to work on it, I expect an improved player that can better battle with the gig guys.

 

Together, I believe they will make a very versatile and difficult inside combo that will cause problems for everyone they face.