Tyler Zeller

Tyler Zeller
C, 7’0, 253lbs, 27 years old, 5 years of experience

Solid yet unremarkable post player in a league slowly moving away from solid unremarkable post players. Career lows in every category, and in particular his true shooting percentage, down to .508% from the .591% of his breakout year two seasons ago. Zeller is seemingly trying to become a mid-range shooter, over-relying on it rather than using his rudimentary-yet-effective post skills and patience to score around the basket. With his physical profile, he is only ever going to be a post player. He should embrace it again. Given his struggles to switch on the perimeter, his reasonable-yet-significant cap number, and the fact that Zizic is coming, Zeller might require being moved this summer for whatever little return is possible, replaced instead by an athletic rebounder. Failing that, he is an obvious waivers candidate.

Player Plan: Unguaranteed $8 million contract for 2017/18, final year. Move it if possi-ble, waive it if not, and give the spot to Zizic.

[...] Tyler Zeller remains on the board. Someone's going to years of solid, unspectacular contribution. In unrelated news, I think Zeller should add a consistent three point shot and go for a Raef LaFrentz thing. I miss Raef LaFrentz.

[...]

Pick 17: Zeller finally goes, picked by the Mavericks at #17, where he will not stay. In its continued bid to ruin the surprise, Twitter (with the assist to Woj) announces that Zeller will be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the first trade of the day.

Of course, Zeller doesn't know this, and talks in his interview about how much of a work ethic he will learn from Dirk Nowitzki. Zeller also talks about his brother Luke (whom Phoenix are now desperately trying to sign), and states how "he's played in the D-League and knows the NBA lifestyle." It's like knowing what heaven's like because you spent two years in hell. It's not the same.

(Brothers normally play similarly in style, but the Zellers couldn't be much more different. Tyler is a 7 footer who does a bit of everything except shooting from deep range; Luke is a 7 footer who only shoots from deep range. You know what you'd have if you blended them together? Raef LaFrentz. I miss Raef LaFrentz.)

Alongside him, Tyler Zeller plays nothing like his brother, Luke, which is a good thing. He is an extremely competent all around player, a 7 foot centre with shotmaking and defensive talent. Zeller is not overly strong, but he's more than willing to use what he's got; he's is not especially explosive, but he's very mobile for his size. Zeller is a talented all around scorer, who gets open off of cuts and pick-and-roll situations, yet who can also create in the post, drop hooks with both hands, drop-step, and step back for the jumpshots. He rebounds, defends the interior well, does a decent job on switches, and is tough and aggressive. Like I said, he's not like Luke.