Vonleh's 18, can grow (or not), has good bulk, with a wingspan close to Hibbert's and greater than Chandler's, and we're playing in an era of small ball. Best rebounder in the 2014 draft, he can play center in today's NBA.
Alternatives in the 5-8 range are Smart, Randle, and Gordon, none of whom can shoot.
If anything, watching the Celtics trot out a bunch of power forward in the center spot reminded me that a tall center is still essential for winning. The lone exception is the Heat. Lebron James is that awesome.
The other top 10-15 playoff teams have real centers. There aren't any superstar centers today. (Howard is past his prime), but there is still greater depth at center than perhaps ever before.
For example, Marcin Gortat is maybe the 15th best center in the NBA. Gortat would eat Vonleh for lunch. A person could contend that Vonleh will mature into a better body. But looking around the NBA, there are a ton of up and coming young centers. Guys like Cousins, Drummond, Vucevic, Jordan, Monroe, Valanciunas, Noel, Embiid are all 25 or under. Even Sanders and Favors may prove to be too big for Vonleh.
What has changed in terms of small ball and bigs, has more to do with what is happening at power forward. All of the best players outside of Blake Griffin can kill it from the perimeter. It's a stretch 4 league. Gone are the Dale Davis, Charles Oakley, Horace Grant 4s. But you still need a center.
