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Noah Vonleh was the bright spot for an otherwise dim season for the Hoosiers. However, as many other talented freshman do, he declared for the draft and won't escape the lottery picks Thursday night.
But- what exactly will Noah Vonleh bring to the team who drafts him?
The most impressive thing about Vonleh? His measurables. He stands an impressive 6'10'' with a 7'4'' wingspan. He has the second largest hands in NBA combine history. Both assets will come in handy, pun intended, at the next level. But what really puts the package all together is that Vonleh is only 18 years old.
2014 NBA Draft Story Stream
BTP's breakdown of the Big Ten prospects in the 2014 NBA Draft
A player that young- with a body like his- has no ceiling on his potential development. But, development could take time. Most teams are drafting a lottery player to contribute immediately.
One thing he does have over most of the big men in the draft is the ability to stretch the floor. Vonleh shot almost 50% from the three point line in college, which is good because he lacks the pure athletic ability to bang consistently in the post right now.
If Vonleh is drafted to a team that has an established post presence already, he'll be able to step in as a 18 year old rookie and contribute on both ends of the floor. He just won't be able to guard the Andre Drummonds and Dwight Howards of the league right now. But given the appropriate time to develop his game, Vonleh has potential to be aLaMarcus Aldridge type skilled big man.
Either way, he's definitely deserving of a lottery pick. The payoff immediately will a serviceable stretch power forward. In the future, he his the potential to be dominant.