New York Knicks: Five reasons to love the Noah Vonleh signing

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MIAMI, FL – MARCH 29: Noah Vonleh #30 of the Chicago Bulls shoots the ball during the game against the Miami Heat on March 29, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Stretch Big Potential

The Chicago Bulls have completely changed the way that a coaching staff should look at Noah Vonleh. Over the course of just 21 games with the Bulls, Vonleh was utilized in a manner that we’d never seen before during his NBA career.

While the Portland Trail Blazers opted to use Vonleh as more of a bruising interior presence who cleaned up the boards, Chicago viewed him as more of a modern big.

Vonleh converted 18 three-point field goals during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons—combined. He buried 18 three-point field goals in 21 games with the Bulls alone, and did so on just six fewer attempts than he had between the 2015-16 and 2016-17 campaigns—again, combined.

He’ll need to improve his efficiency from beyond the arc, but considering he went from a non-shooter to a catch and shoot specialist, 30.0 percent is a solid starting point.

With the New York Knicks, Vonleh’s range will be appreciated by a head coach who has emphasized the three-ball for his bigs in the past. David Fizdale played a significant role in both Chris Bosh and Marc Gasol becoming players who evolved from non-shooters into borderline marksmen.

With the ability to stretch the floor, finish above the rim, and crash the offensive glass, Vonleh could create intriguing balance for a small-ball or stretch big lineup.