Noah Vonleh Eyed by the Orlando Magic

The NBA Draft is just four days away. Former IU star Noah Vonleh has garnered a lot of attention in the past few months. Recent reports indicate that the Orlando Magic have a lot of interest in Vonleh.

The Magic hold the fourth pick in the draft and are looking to improve their frontcourt. They need someone to pair with Nikola Vucevic and Vonleh fits that mold. Joel Embiid is also an option, but his recent foot injury has teams running away at a startling pace.

Vonleh was a double-double machine in his freshman season. He averaged 11.3 points, nine rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. He measures in at 6-9 and 247-pounds. Vonleh showed the ability to score from all over the court and he shot 48-percent from the three point line.

The fact that he averaged just 11.3 points says far more about the offense than his abilities as a player. Vonleh shot 52-percent from the field, but only took seven shots per game. For some reason, the offense simply didn’t run through the team’s best player and once opponents realized that they could double team Vonleh without consequences, it was over for the Hoosiers.

Vonleh boasts an impressive 7-4 wingspan and has the second largest hands in combine history. Both make him a natural rebounder and shot blocker. The measurables also show how he was able to be such an effective defender in the post and outside.

While Vonleh has a ton of potential, he is going to be a bit of a project. He needs to add strength and has to refine his overall abilities. Vonleh has a tendency to rely more on his athletic ability to score as opposed to fundamental moves. Once he develops his post game, and gets a pull up jumper, he’ll be a tough matchup at the four position.

The Magic hit big in last year’s draft with former Hoosiers Victor Oladipo, who was runner up for rookie of the year. Pairing him with Vonleh would give Hoosier fans a glimpse of a team that never was had Oladipo stayed around for his senior year.

The Magic also have the 12th pick in the draft this year. This allows them a fair amount of flexibility, especially with the overall talent available.

Any team that takes Vonleh is going to have to have some patience with his development and be willing to invest time into him. The Magic have been building a young team through the draft recently, and the fifth championship by the San Antonio Spurs should serve as proof that this is a good model for a franchise.

The NBA Draft is on Thursday, June 26th at 7 PM on ESPN.