NBA coaching camps are crammed with gamers on the perimeter of creating it into the league. There are the undrafted children seeking to safe one-year minimums and two-way offers. There are unsigned veterans searching for that final run with a contender.
After which there’s the in between, former first rounders who performed themselves out of the bigs after their rookie offers expired, bounced round, and are looking for their method again in.
After the Celtics contacted him in late August with a possibility to play for his hometown workforce, the Salem native jumped on the probability. A hamstring damage plagued him when he initially arrived, however slowly however certainly, Vonleh has impressed along with his regular work ethic and strong play.
In China, Vonleh admitted that he may play “extra free” overseas and averaged 14 factors and 9 rebounds for the Shanghai Sharks. With the Celtics, he’s taking a extra day-to-day method and enjoying inside his position.
“I really feel like I’ve at all times been a reasonably versatile participant, however (I’ve been) maturing through the years, studying screening angles, studying totally different methods, and simply studying the sport and slowing the sport down,” Vonleh mentioned after Sunday’s follow.
On Friday evening, Vonleh began for Boston and completed with a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double. In three preseason video games, he’s made ten of his twelve photographs and grabbed 25 rebounds in 47 minutes. These aren’t monster numbers, nevertheless it’s his humble understanding of his position and the way he suits into hierarchy of final yr’s Jap Convention champs that might earn him one of many last two spots on the roster as a backup huge.
“We bought a two-headed monster with Jayson (Tatum) and Jaylen (Brown). The most important key once I step into the sport and once I’m on the ground with these guys is making an attempt to get a low angle and get these guys open, utilizing my physique to create angles and provides them the mismatch,” Vonleh mentioned. “In the event that they wish to throw it in there if I’ve a guard on me, we’ll exploit that additionally.”
Vonleh spent two of his most profitable seasons in Portland early in his younger profession flanked by one other star-studded duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. These groups solely went to the West semis and he admits that Brown and Tatum are extra dynamic than his former teammates and with a risk to not simply make it again to the NBA, however contribute to a title contender, his focus stays on the current.
“The journey continues. I don’t know if this would be the final cease, however I’m comfortable to be right here now. I’m staying within the second, staying within the now.”
