The next great Celtics big man has arrived!
Just kidding. Although he'll never sniff an all-star game, Tyler Zeller is an intriguing young center.
I'm going to be taking a closer look at Big Ty (my first crack at a nickname), starting with a season review for 2013-2014 courtesy of NBA.com
Zeller had a solid rookie season, appearing in 77 games – including 55 starts – with averages of 7.9 points and 5.7 boards per contest. He joined his 2012 Draft classmate Dion Waiters in the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend in Houston, was named to the All-Rookie Second Team and was selected to play – along with Waiters and Kyrie Irving – in the U.S. National Team mini-camp in Las Vegas this summer.
But it was tougher sledding as a sophomore. Looking to be one of the first bigs off the bench heading into 2013-14, Zeller’s season got off to a tough start. He injured his hip in the Wine and Gold Scrimmage and, even before the preseason had wrapped up, was forced to undergo an emergency appendectomy after he was diagnosed with acute appendicitis.
Zeller struggled as he tried to work himself into shape at the start of the season, failing to score in six of his first games and finding himself outside the rotation – picking up 11 DNP-CD’s in a 15-game stretch from mid-November to late-December.
A pair of solid performances against Detroit and Chicago before the New Year put Zeller back on Brown’s radar, and he appeared in every game but one the rest of the way.
On January 28, the former Tar Heel got his first start of the season and didn’t waste the opportunity. With Anderson Varejao on the shelf with a left knee injury, Zeller turned in his best performance of the season, doubling up with 13 points and 10 rebounds in just 21 minutes of play. (That loss to New Orleans was also rookie Anthony Bennett’s coming-out party in 2013-14, with the No. 1 overall pick netting 15 points and eight boards off the bench.)
After two more starts, Zeller rejoined the second unit. But Varejao was sidelined with a sore back right before the All-Star Break and Zeller returned to the starting lineup. During that six-game stretch, Zeller improved on his previous best – tallying 18 points and 15 boards against Philly and notching 16 points and six boards the following night against Orlando. During those six starts, the Wine and Gold were 4-2.
That six-pack of games were the last Zeller would start last season, but the best was yet to come. He went 10-for-16 for 23 points against Houston in late March and finished the season with four straight double-digit scoring performances – including a 22-point effort on 9-for-11 shooting to close the campaign.
After struggling just to get healthy and into the rotation at the beginning of the season, Zeller closed out 2013-14 in style and hopefully gained some momentum and confidence heading into his third year as a pro.
Strengths*runs the floor well
*good passer for a center
*great touch around the hoop with either hand (shot 65% from 0-3ft)
*nice mid-range game (shot 52% from 10-16ft)
*solid athlete
Weaknesses*not physically strong
*not an imposing defensive force
*relatively limited upside
Other notable statistics
-Had a 58 TS% last season
-7.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, .9 blocks in 24.6 mpg last season
-24 years old
-7'1" tall
Topic: Taking a Closer Look: Tyler Zeller (Read 6237 times)