When Jake Layman and Noah Vonleh received invitations to Celtics training camp this fall, it became an opportunity for them to not only earn a full-time spot with the defending Eastern Conference champions, but also a chance to return home.
Layman, a 6-foot-8 wing, grew up about 30 miles southwest of Boston in Wrentham, Massachusetts, where he played at King Philip Regional High School. The 2012 graduate then played four years at the University of Maryland before being drafted by Portland with 47e overall pick in the 2016 draft.
Vonleh, a 6-foot-10, 257-pound forward/center, spent the first seven years of his life north of Boston in Salem, Mass., before heading to Haverhill for the next 11 years. He attended Haverhill High and then transferred to New Hampton School in New Hampshire, where he graduated in 2013. The five-star rookie only played one year at Indiana University before to be drafted by Charlotte with the ninth overall pick in the 2014 draft.
Layman split his previous six seasons between Portland and Minnesota, while Vonleh spent seven seasons with seven different NBA teams before playing overseas last season.
Now both of their lives have come full circle as they hope to live out the dream of playing for their *home team.
“I’m grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to come here and play for a roster spot,” 28-year-old Layman told Celtics.com. “I feel like I have the opportunity to be part of the team too. I’m not just here just to be here. And then being back home is special. I grew up not too far from here so it’s great to be back and see lots of family and friends around.
Although Vonleh’s family no longer resides in Haverhill, as they have dispersed to Atlanta and Oregon, the 27-year-old still feels a strong connection to the Boston area and his hometown team.
“We used to watch the games all the time,” Vonleh said. “I liked a lot of players like Paul Pierce (also Layman’s favorite Celtic) and Antoine Walker, and obviously a bunch of other players like Tony Battie, (Tony) Delk, Wally Szerbiac, Walter McCarty. So I was definitely a Celtic fan growing up.
Layman and Vonleh didn’t see each other often during their high school play days, despite being only a year apart. Although, given that Massachusetts isn’t known as a hotspot for pro-level talent, they certainly knew each other.
“If you’re one of the best players and you’re another top player, obviously you’ll know who’s there and who’s coming,” Vonleh said. “So I heard about Jake and I knew him.”
They have gotten to know each other a lot more in recent years. This is the third time they have joined forces as NBA teammates, as they were together in Portland from 2016-2018, as well as Minnesota during the 2019-20 season.
“It’s great to have him with us,” Layman said of Vonleh. “Someone I can hang out with off the pitch, eat and relax with, so it’s nice to have a familiar face around.
When they’re in the field, it’s all about business. Layman and Vonleh are two of six training camp guests currently vying for three full-time spots. Those spots could also go to other free agents, so the competition is fierce.
Having worked closely with training camp guests in the past, interim head coach Joe Mazzulla says the key for these guys is having patience and bringing intensity to the game. defensive.
“For the last two years I’ve worked with guys who are in that position and it’s all about patience and making sure you get on the pitch first because of your defense. And they’ve done a great job. in that regard,” Mazzulla told Celtics.com after Saturday’s practice. “We did a drill today and when those guys were there their defensive intensity was the same (as the rest of the squad). crew). I think it starts with that, knowing what your role is, and then knowing that you’re going to have to play defensively.”
Good to know for two guys like Layman and Vonleh who both hang their hats on the defensive end.
“I think I would be a guy who would be able to step in whenever he needed to and provide a defensive spark with my length and my athleticism,” said Layman, who averaged 13.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per 36 minutes. in 243 career games (49 starts). “And offensively, I think with this group of guys, my cutting off the ball, my throwing the ball, being able to move without the ball in my hands is key to my game, so I think that will be effective here. ”
Vonleh, who averaged 10.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per 36 minutes in 339 games (171 starts), thinks he can bring unique efficiency as well.
“I think there’s a lot I could do in terms of versatility, especially from a defensive point of view being able to change,” he said. “With the way the game is going, if we had me in the lineup where I’m at 5 or 4, being able to switch and keep 1-5. And I worked on my shooting over the summer , being able to knock down corner 3 can add another dimension.
Both Layman and Vonleh will have the opportunity to show off those skills over the next two weeks as the Celtics prepare for training camp and preseason. If they prove valuable enough to the team during this time, this could end up being their ticket home.
* Eight Massachusetts natives have played in a regular season game for the Celtics. On only one occasion, two Massachusetts natives were on the team at the same time: Dana Barros and Wayne Turner during the 1999-00 season. They only played one game together on November 5, 1999.