RealGM

Watching him get destroyed by the big man from Minesottta currently and watchign him closely for awhile im really not impressed by him at all..

Hes cant defend hes not a very good rebounder..hes physically weak and gets pushed around and intimadated easily

On offense has has no go to moves..the only part of hsi game above average is running the floor and in the pros that will be negated

I know this draft is not good but i cant see him going top 3 or even 5 if this continues.

He had a bad game against a great athlete who was on a roll at home. No doubt, Zeller will have some problems against length, and he's not a dominant rebounder, but he's adequate and improving there. I disagree with all of your other criticisms and think he'll be effective in the NBA at both ends of the court from day 1.

It's a bit too predictable that a critic goes after a player right after he has a bad game.

The problem is a lot of people look at Zeller as a center prospect and he comes up short from a measureables standpoint.

Look at him as a power forward.

His lack of length and explosiveness won't be as big of a factor. He wont be asked to be the rim protector. Instead, he will be asked to guard on pick and rolls and against face up scorers. Zeller has good lateral quickness and in terms of help defense and guarding screens - he is top notch. He can be a very good defender - not in the Dwight Howard sense - but more along the lines of Nick Collison.

Also, he has plenty of time to bulk up. He has a better frame than his brothers. Zeller was abused by a 24 year old MAN tonight. That shouldnt be a big surprise.

His offensive game also translates well as a power forward. Zeller is a great jumpshooter, although he isnt asked to show it much in college. Hes also a very skilled passer out of the high post that can do things off the dribble in traffic that is not normal for a player his size. Hes not super quick or explosive, but he is very fundamentally sound and coordinated.

The guy isnt a star by any means and has backed down from challenges this year, but if you use him correctly in the NBA, he will be a nice asset. Definitely a top 10 pick.

Zeller will be a very good pro because although he's not a top tier athlete, he's a very good athlete with excellent skills. His position is mostly likely pf and not center. And he's a very smart player who will adapt quickly to whatever teams drafts him. He hasn't displayed his outside shooting much at Indiana, but he can hit the outside shot. Zeller will be one of the fours who can score inside and and outside. He doesn't have an outstanding go-to move, but in the flow of the offense, he'll do very well.

Zeller will fall leading into the draft, just because there is no prototype for a player like him being a success in the NBA. I mean, just who is the comparison point? It sure isn't Aldridge, as nbadraft.net suggests...

he wont fall past the timberwolves

nickforthreee wrote:he wont fall past the timberwolves

Why? I think Love, Williams & Cunningham can handle the PF position.

Disappointing season given the expectations. If he drops some team will get a steal.

DirtyDez wrote:Disappointing season given the expectations. If he drops some team will get a steal.

I've seen quite a few Indiana games, and it looks like Zeller is still holding part of his game back. He's a very good shooter out to 20 ft, but he still rarely shoots it when he has an open shot. He'll be shooting that shot in the pros though.

He stepped outside vs MSU and killed them when Nix couldnt step out and guard him.

Top 10 guy but not top 5 IMO. Needs to bulk up and play a little more physical.

Johnlac1 wrote:

DirtyDez wrote:Disappointing season given the expectations. If he drops some team will get a steal.

I've seen quite a few Indiana games, and it looks like Zeller is still holding part of his game back. He's a very good shooter out to 20 ft, but he still rarely shoots it when he has an open shot. He'll be shooting that shot in the pros though.

i expect him to be playing more in space in the pros. he's not a back to the basket player at the next level outside of quick posts imo. face up, show and go, mid-range pops, pnr, transition buckets, cuts and putbacks. i think that'll be his offensive game.
i agree that he's a PF at the next level as well.

EricAnderson wrote:Hes cant defend hes not a very good rebounder..hes physically weak and gets pushed around and intimadated easily

On offense has has no go to moves..the only part of hsi game above average is running the floor.

I'd hate to be Indiana's back-up PF/C if all that is true.

Zeller is one of those low risk, low reward type players who won't bust, but won't be more than a serviceable NBA player either. He likely made a mistake not declaring last year, when he would have undoubtedly been the #2 pick.

Cammo101 wrote:Zeller is one of those low risk, low reward type players who won't bust, but won't be more than a serviceable NBA player either. He likely made a mistake not declaring last year, when he would have undoubtedly been the #2 pick.

Exactly. When it comes draft time more and more GMs will be seeing him as just a spruced up Tyler Zeller. Tyler's senior year numbers are on par with Cody's, and seeing how Cody has virtually no improvement from last year its possible Cody has just developed faster than Tyler, but they share the same ceiling. I think he falls to 10-12.

i'd still take him top 5. he's bigger and has a stronger base than his brother. he's skilled, smart and athletic. you really can't go wrong with those type of players.
i'd call him a low risk, medium reward player, not a low reward player. a low reward player is an end of the rotation guy.

I think at the 4, if he's strong enough to play in the post and has an outside shooting game, that'd be pretty dynamic and worthy of all-star upside

Who is the prototype for him being successful?

jman2585 wrote:Who is the prototype for him being successful?

Draft Express:

Best Case: Greg Monroe
Worst Case: Paul Davis

That is depressing as ****.

Monroe? Who is bigger and longer than him as far as I can tell? Doesn't seem a very good comparison with his short arms and modest athleticism.