FILM STUDY: Scouting Noah Vonleh with Joe Hulbert from Canis Hoopus

Monday afternoon, the Brooklyn front office made it official: old lottery selection Noah Vonleh | became a Brooklyn Net. After what some might call no thank you Leaving the league – a positive COVID-19 test and subsequent relinquishment of Chicago’s preseason roster (C’mon Bulls, get some class!) Big multi-tool man Noah Vonleh earned himself a great opportunity with a championship contender in New York City.

Just based on what we know about Brooklyn’s roster (* takes a look at Norvel Pelle’s 6 fouls in 17 minutes against Philadelphia *), I don’t think it’s crazy to say that there may be minutes before to go around; Enough opportunity presents itself for Vonleh to prove himself once again, on – not much at all – the biggest stage possible.

To make sense of Sean Marks’ latest acquisition, I recruited Joe hulbert from our sister site, Canis Hoopus, to help you. Joe is one of my favorite PERIOD basketball content creators, a really gorgeous guy and the author of one of my three favorite basketball articles this year, Inside the Minnesota Timberwolves’ bland offensive strategy.

(Seriously Nets fans, I suggest you read this one. The cover of Joe’s X and O is still crisp, but there are some really splendid snippets of former Net All-Star D’Angelo Russell, as well. just a quick tribute to former Nets manager (coach Kenny Atkinson. I can’t recommend it enough!).

First of all, Joe, thank you for joining me. It’s an absolute honor, and I’m so excited to talk about some hoops with you.

To get right to the heart of the matter, we’ll start here …

Matt Brooks: We’ve had a bit of back and forth about this on Twitter, but what does Vonleh offer on the defensive end of the ball? Do you think it will fit into Brooklyn’s switching defense? Is it rather a big drop-back? Or does Vonleh exhibit some versatility in keeping closer to the perimeter?

Joe Hulbert: That’s a tough question to give a concrete answer just because of the Minnesota plan. David Vanterpool runs a pure depot scheme with all switches being variety 1-4. Mid-Minnesota hardly ever did a cover or a blitz because they wanted to maintain the structure and protect the paint. They also did not have the staff to recover the blitzes.

The assessment of Vonleh’s adequacy in Brooklyn’s Defense of Change is based on small samples and assumptions. There are signs, however, that it may work. On the offensive side of the ball, Vonleh is a fluid player who can attack from the perimeter. His change of direction is quick for a guy of his size and those principles and skills can theoretically be put on the defensive side of the ball.

Denver is changing a lot more than Minnesota. His minutes were limited but he played 11 minutes against the Lakers just before the start of the pandemic. He had this scheming rep against LeBron James in isolation.

Vonleh shows good footwork and poise in trying to keep LeBron in front of him. He knows where the help defense is, and it wasn’t a particularly easy ride for James. There is certainly potential for Vonleh to move onto the initiating wings. But the number of movie clips you can use to save it is limited. It’s all about projections and theoretical adjustment.

Overall though, Vonleh is a great defensive communicator. Most Wolves bloggers agreed that he watched a lot of movies. He always pointed and announced set games when he was in the back. He’s playing hard, and his indoor footwork is pretty good. He’s playing the game in a fundamental and solid way and he’s worth a punt in the Nets’ switching scheme.

MB: There has been a lot of talk from my side of the world regarding Vonleh’s sweater. Do you buy or sell its ability to stretch the ground?

JH: I wouldn’t say I would buy his ability to shoot jumpers. At a higher level in the playoffs, he would likely get the Al Horford treatment the Bucks gave him in the 18-19 season. Again, this comes down to a theoretical value because the sample size is too small. His best shooting season was in 17-18 as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers when he was in the 75th percentile for mid-range long-range effectiveness while taking them at a frequency that placed him in the 95th. percentile. However, his filming was never really translated in Minnesota, Denver or Chicago. Perhaps this suggests his numbers were inflated in Portland by the presence of their elite guards. He inherits a similar if not ridiculously better situation with the scoring guards in Brooklyn, so his numbers could hold up. Once again, everything is theoretical.

What should translate is its fluidity. In New York (with the Knicks), they often made him go up the ball. He can knock down the perimeter defense on offense, and he plays within attack limits. He’s a good screener and an overall smart player for that purpose. Any semblance of shooting in the jump obviously increases its value.

I suggest the lower the volume, the more likely it is to be a threat. New York signed him on the back of his midrange numbers in Portland as they were desperate for floor space. His 3 point numbers were mediocre. It’s often the reality of stretching someone with limited offensive skills all the way to the three point line.

MB: What’s the biggest benefit Vonleh brings to the table that the average Nets fan might not be aware of?

JH: I spoke earlier about Vonleh’s obvious love for watching defensive films. In attack, he is an equally intelligent player who allows to perform fixed games. Overall, the 19-20 Timberwolves offense was a stat-driven abomination, but the offense had a semblance of a schematic presence when Vonleh was on the pitch. This is a good PnR screener which is excellent for running counters from dribble transfers.

It’s a simple game but it’s about the best that a low-usage center can bring. It’s a great sieve that knows how to create smaller margins that can turn a simple game into a really good look. If the Nets want to perform a lot of dribble transfers, then a player can do them. He can manipulate defense as a passer in those actions and it’s a nice mesh alongside threats from the Nets’ perimeter.

The above play is once again straightforward, but it might be enough for the Nets on the offensive end of the ball. He is an intelligent player who studies the defensive tendencies of his opponents. On this play, he expects Marko Guduric to over-engages so he simply cancels the action.

MB: On the other hand, what are its biggest weaknesses?

JH: His weakness is just that he doesn’t have any notable skills as a goalscorer. This is often what keeps the players at their level. He makes up for the lack of star talent with a work ethic, film studies, and the good little things. It seems obvious, but at the highest level his ceiling is hampered by the fact that he won’t be able to punish the defense with anything on offense, unless he miraculously becomes an effective spot-up shooter. The Nets were looking for a low-use high impact player, however, and they may have found him.

MB: Do you like the movement as a whole for the Nets?

JH: I am a fan of the movement. I would have liked to see him come back to the Timberwolves. Its communication on both sides sets a much needed professional standard in Minnesota. He plays within his limits and does things in the margins that can raise a team’s floor. It is perfect for traveling shooters who might need defensive cover with a flexible switching system.

MB: Joe, I just want to thank you again for joining me. Your analysis is, as always, fantastic, and I feel a lot more prepared for the Noah Vonleh iteration of Brooklyn basketball. I look forward to continuing to follow your work this season, and I hope better times will come for our Timberwolves. The Lord knows we deserve it.

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Folks, give Joe a follow on Twitter Here for more breakdowns like this. Every hour of the day Joe is breaking down the movie, sharing stats, and contextualizing the more nuanced concepts in basketball, and I can’t recommend staying up to date with his work.