LAS VEGAS-- Not many players come to NBA Summer League after starting on a playoff team for the majority of the previous season.

But that's the exact position Noah Vonleh finds himself in this week in Vegas. He started 56 games for the Portland Trail Blazers last year before slipping out of the rotation during the final weeks of the regular season and through Portland's postseason run.

He knew summer league offered him a chance to prove he belonged in the rotation and is not thrilled with his performance in Vegas.

"No, I'm not too happy with how I've played," he said following the Blazers loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. "I rebounded the ball well, but there's just some things that I want to have translate for next season so I can get some playing time. Like reading the play, doing the right thing."

The Blazers made moves to bolster their frontcourt in the offseason, adding Festus Ezeli to join an already crowded big man rotation with Mason Plumlee, Meyers Leonard and Ed Davis. Throw in the fact that the Blazers want to get Al-Farouq Aminu regular minutes at power forward and it is clear playing time could be an issue for Vonleh.

"It's going to be tough," he said. "We've got a great group of guys coming in so everybody is going to be fighting for playing time. If you don't come ready for training camp, you're not going to play. I got to get my mind right and get ready for that."

The Blazers were pushing Vonleh to be more aggressive in his third summer league. He's responded by looking for his jump shot and going hard after rebounds. He's been solid, but not close to dominant.

"He's been rebounding the basketball, he's been very aggressive taking his outside shot and it's a still a process with him," Blazers summer league coach Dale Osbourne said. "I think what we always have to remember is he's 20 years old. He works hard. He's a great kid. He's coachable so he's going to be fine."

Vonleh said he's been hard on himself about his summer league performance where he has averaged 12.0 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 46.3 percent from the floor. He had posted three straight doubles-doubles to open his week in Vegas before injuring his hip on Tuesday night.

"It's time to take a bigger step this year," he said. "I'm real tough on myself with things like that."

He had 10 points and two rebounds on Wednesday as the Blazers lost to the Jazz, 86-71, in the opening round of the summer league tournament. He played 28 minutes, but was clearly not moving at full speed.

He's unlikely to play in Portland's summer league finale on Friday at 3 p.m. against the Boston Celtics so his next chance to work on his game will come outside of organized team practices and games.

Vonleh isn't sure what he'll do for the rest of the summer. He might visit the Peak Performance Project training facility in San Diego like he has in previous years or he might stay in Portland and workout with the Blazers staff. But he knows, unlike many NBA veterans, he won't spend August getting in one last vacation before training camp and the grind of the regular season starts.

"I got a lot of time to vacation many years to come down the road," Vonleh said. "I gotta get in the gym and get right."

--Mike Richman

mrichman@oregonian.com

@mikegrich