The Boston Celtics have officially signed veteran big man Noah Vonleh to a fully non-guaranteed camp deal according to Celtics Blog’s Keith Smith. The Salem, Massachusetts native is inking a deal with his hometown team after a seven-season career has failed to find the Indiana product a more permanent home, Vonleh having played for as many teams in as many years.
But there have been moments where the 6-foot-10 big man has flashed signs he might yet have something to give an NBA team with the right environment and role, which the Celtics hope is with them as a backup center for Boston able to play down to the 4 a bit when needed.
As recently as the 2018-19 season, Vonleh played a similar role for the New York Knicks, playing 25 minutes a game and putting up 8.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per contest over that stretch.
The veteran Celtics beat writer thinks Boston’s defensive identity precludes players like Montrezl Harrell and Carmelo Anthony. https://t.co/zVEAMFJaTm
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 8, 2022
It was also during his time with the Knicks that his 3-point shot was at its most reliable at 33.6% from deep on 2.4 attempts per game.
While his future latching on with the Celtics may not depend on his 3-point shot, recreating something like that or better would go a long way to giving Vonleh an edge heading into what is looking like a tough camp competition for the roster spot.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
