Cleveland Cavaliers: Where Larry Nance Jr. ranks against other starting PFs

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Minnesota Timberwolves big Noah Vonleh (in the middle). (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

#30: Davis Bertans

Washington Wizards power forward Davis Bertans has a pretty clear role at this point in his NBA career.

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In his three seasons prior with the San Antonio Spurs, Bertans established himself as a knockdown shooter off-the-catch, and was effective as a shooter coming off screens.

On catch-and-shoot field goals in 2018-19, Bertans had an effective field goal clip of 65.1% on a frequency of 67.8%, per NBA.com’s shot tracking data, and though the movement-predicated system of the Spurs under head coach Gregg Popovich and his staff helped Bertans’ efficiency, he is a shooter with a release that’s very quick and at 6-foot-10, he can get his shots off pretty cleanly even if contested.

Though the Wizards likely won’t be getting Bertans quite as many open looks as he’s had in the last few years when he’s played, with John Wall‘s injury troubles in particular, Bertans is still due to put up some decent numbers when the opportunities arise.

Defensively, though, Bertans is pretty limited on the ball, and though his off-ball positioning is usually competent, he’s inconsistent on the interior and does not use his height all that well to alter shots.

#29: Noah Vonleh

I would think that Noah Vonleh would get the starting power forward nod for the Minnesota Timberwolves. A new addition to the T-Wolves, Vonleh should be a decent fit next to franchise player in center Karl-Anthony Towns.

I would have thought Minnesota would elect to go with the younger Vonleh (24) over Taj Gibson (34) at this point, considering Vonleh is better physically to guard at times out in space with quality lateral quickness for a big, and that was appears to be the case. Gibson is not able to really do that much if at all, and now Gibson signed with the New York Knicks this offseason, which is a strange fit.

Gibson has never been a three-point shooting threat in his career, so letting him go elsewhere made sense with the T-Wolves reportedly shifting toward an analytics-driven approach under new President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas, Vonleh should be a viable starting option.

Last season, he had 8.4 points on 56.1% true shooting, to go with 7.8 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game with the New York Knicks (per Basketball Reference). As Dunking With Wolves’ Ben Beecken highlighted, Vonleh did show some stretch big ability last year, as he knocked in what was a career-best 33.6% of his three-point attempts.

Perhaps with the post-up prowess and also perimeter shooting touch of Towns, Vonleh’s three-point clip can increase some if the usage is there, too.

Though I wouldn’t expect Vonleh to be a high ceiling player, I’d think with playmaking from the likes of Jeff Teague, Towns, and perhaps Jarrett Culver now, that Vonleh should get about 10.0 points per game from primarily catch-and-shoot scoring production.

Again, though, it’s solid defense on the interior positionally to go with sound perimeter defensive position with Vonleh that’s his primary role in the NBA at this point.

That, along with a potential cap hit, was seemingly why Minnesota let Dario Saric (a player who is not able to switchout on the perimeter) go via trade to the Phoenix Suns on 2019 NBA Draft night.

Nonetheless, Vonleh doesn’t seem to have a high ceiling as an on-ball shot creator or playmaker, though, so he lands here.

#28: James Johnson

Miami Heat small-ball 4 James Johnson can do some of everything at his listed size of 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds thanks to above average finishing ability, a capable floater, and notable defensive versatility that allows him to have switchability in pick-and-roll situations against some primary playmakers, most wings and some 4’s.

Johnson has also been a viable playmaker for the Heat, as he’s had 3.4 assists per game in his three seasons with them (per Basketball Reference).

Though I’d expect him to bounce back from his 7.8 points per game production last year, which was a bit of a decline from the two years prior due to him feasibly being recovered from reported shoulder and knee injuries that limited him to just 55 games active in 2018-19 (per Basketball Reference), he’s a non-floor spacer (a career 30.5% three-point shooter), and is still not much of a jump shooting threat in the mid-range area, either.

That limits his ability to take advantage of slower 4’s matched up on him.

The 32-year-old Johnson being paid over $15.3 million next season (per Spotrac) and if he opts into his 2020-21 player option of over $16 million also will only lead to likely more and more trade rumors surrounding him, too.