Click here to access our NBA Draft Tracker, which includes all rounds, trades and rumors.
The Charlotte Hornets selected Indiana power forward Noah Vonleh with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
With the 9th overall pick in the 2014 #NBADraft, the @hornets select @NoahVonleh! pic.twitter.com/vuRr6Q6fIw
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) June 27, 2014
And with that, the Hornets may have drafted the most physically imposing player in the class, as Vonleh is a specimen. With a 7-foot-4-plus wingpsan, a 9-foot standing reach, and the largest hands in the draft, Vonleh has the makings of a defensive force, something he flashed in the Big Ten this past season.
Vonleh is just as enticing offensively, having shot 48.5 percent from long range as a freshman. He's not that terrific a shooter, of course, but he should help as a floor-spacing big right away, especially if teams find a more consistent role for him than the Hoosiers did (he averaged only 11.3 points despite robust shooting).
It may require a bit of patience, as Vonleh is still only 18 and was underused last year, but there's a non-zero chance he ends up as the best four from the draft.
Vonleh offers the Hornets a great compliment to Al Jefferson. Vonleh likes to play away from the basket, while Jefferson can be a force down low for the team. Slipping down from his top five projection, he could go down as a steal for the Hornets.
He'll also bring some freakishly large hands to Charlotte with him.
Noah Vonleh hands. pic.twitter.com/lqIE1Bep0e
— Marcus (@MarcusD) June 27, 2014
That isn't he hand of an ordinary man he's being compared to. That's former NBAer Jay Williams. Those hands are HUGE.
