Z-Rex: The Cody Zeller Thread

[fatlever]

btw, welcome to the board lottery mafia

[JT2006]

I think I am most excited to see Kemba with competent pick and roll partners.

[LamarMatic7]

excellent first post, Lottery Mafia. worthy of your first and1 on realGM.

[Elden Payton]

@Logander shared a link in the MKG thread from BR, here is the Cody Zeller article.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1718 ... -up/page/5

They project he will average 16.1/8.0/2.6/1.3/1.4 on .499 FG%

Insane, I would be ecstatic, those numbers would near make him an all-star as a rook.

[Liver_Pooty]

@Logander shared a link in the MKG thread from BR, here is the Cody Zeller article.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1718 ... -up/page/5

They project he will average 16.1/8.0/2.6/1.3/1.4 on .499 FG%

Insane, I would be ecstatic, those numbers would near make him an all-star as a rook.

I don't think its unrealistic to be honest.

[Elden Payton]

@Logander shared a link in the MKG thread from BR, here is the Cody Zeller article.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1718 ... -up/page/5

They project he will average 16.1/8.0/2.6/1.3/1.4 on .499 FG%

Insane, I would be ecstatic, those numbers would near make him an all-star as a rook.

I don't think its unrealistic to be honest.

I've stated I think he will average 15/7/2/1/1 so I don't think it is too unrealistic either but 16/8/2.5/1.5/1.5 rounded is ROY and all-star numbers, I would be ecstatic but it is crazy a national website would throw it out there like that although it is BR in all fairness.

[James Gatz]

@Logander shared a link in the MKG thread from BR, here is the Cody Zeller article.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1718 ... -up/page/5

They project he will average 16.1/8.0/2.6/1.3/1.4 on .499 FG%

Insane, I would be ecstatic, those numbers would near make him an all-star as a rook.

I don't think its unrealistic to be honest.

I think it's pretty far fetched.

[Liver_Pooty]

@Logander shared a link in the MKG thread from BR, here is the Cody Zeller article.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1718 ... -up/page/5

They project he will average 16.1/8.0/2.6/1.3/1.4 on .499 FG%

Insane, I would be ecstatic, those numbers would near make him an all-star as a rook.

I don't think its unrealistic to be honest.

I think it's pretty far fetched.

I think he will average 14/7, but if he averaged 16/8 I would be extremely happy.

[amcoolio]

There is no way the starting lineup can average 80 points....I think best case scenerio Al Jeff gets 20/11 while Cody dips and we can trade him for some picks/young talent to a team like Washington/Portland, leaving Cody with all the minutes and beast mode 2nd half of the season

[mcaponi2]

I think Cody could easily contribute 12 and 8 a night which is still pretty good. He is following the bobcat mold of being taken because of high character and a desire to win. Excited to see him play opening night.

[HornetJail]

It's far-fetched to think Zeller can average 16/8 in his rookie year playing next to/behind Al Jefferson. I can't see him cracking 12/8 either. Remember he's going to be the 4th or 5th option whenever he plays with the starters. Kemba, Hendo, and Jefferson will all outscore him significantly. MKG probably should score more as well.

9/6 on solid percentages looks alright. It's more or less what MKG averaged this year.

[Lottery_Mafia]

IMO Zeller should be our 4th scoring option behind Jefferson, Walker and Henderson (in that order). I love MKG's game, but you should never really rely on him for offence in the half court unless he has a mismatch and he can get a good post up. Like you saw in the Team USA camp MKG's offence works best when he isn't forcing anything, he is much more efficient just letting the game come to him. Let MKG focus on the things he does well, defending, rebounding, steals... He will get points from those things but as of right now I would definitely have Zeller ahead of MKG.

Zeller is one of the most versatile scorers I have seen come out the draft, he can post up, score in transition, hit the jump shot get to the foul line. I don't know if you guys remember that play in summer league where he picked the ball up at the 3 point line and had the handle and finishing ability to drive to the basket and score, if not look here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SbcyixP0gg

See at 40 seconds, 1min 40 and 2mins in you can see his ability... If you watch the whole video he scored in pretty much every way possible. So why not have your most versatile offensive bigman getting touches ahead of MKG who is still feeling his way into the league?

[mcaponi2]

I see your point about Zeller but I feel because MKG ha seniority and his offensive game is the biggest priorty for the coaching staff right now that you need to work the offense to give him more opportunities. The majority of Cody's offense is going to come from put backs and transition. We have to remember that Zeller is only 20 and is the long term solution and Jefferson is short term to give Zeller the right of passage to eventually start as the center.

[Eoghan]

Remains to be seen if he can post up anybody in the NBA and if that perimeter J is legit. SL teams don't play team defense and Z hasn't seen many if any NBA caliber bigs yet. I'd say his numbers will be pretty modest if he starts but he could get a nice boost if he plays against benches/gets a lot of garbage minutes.

Debbie Downer post #27845729078

[mcaponi2]

Remains to be seen if he can post up anybody in the NBA and if that perimeter J is legit. SL teams don't play team defense and Z hasn't seen many if any NBA caliber bigs yet. I'd say his numbers will be pretty modest if he starts but he could get a nice boost if he plays against benches/gets a lot of garbage minutes.

Debbie Downer post #27845729078

You do have to take in consideration though that the SL players are fighting for any chance they can't get. These are the best 60 players of the past 2 years and are giving all the effort they can.

[JT2006]

I see your point about Zeller but I feel because MKG ha seniority and his offensive game is the biggest priorty for the coaching staff right now that you need to work the offense to give him more opportunities. The majority of Cody's offense is going to come from put backs and transition. We have to remember that Zeller is only 20 and is the long term solution and Jefferson is short term to give Zeller the right of passage to eventually start as the center.

zeller is the power forward bro.

[mcaponi2]

I see your point about Zeller but I feel because MKG ha seniority and his offensive game is the biggest priorty for the coaching staff right now that you need to work the offense to give him more opportunities. The majority of Cody's offense is going to come from put backs and transition. We have to remember that Zeller is only 20 and is the long term solution and Jefferson is short term to give Zeller the right of passage to eventually start as the center.

zeller is the power forward bro.

Im aware of that, but you would have to imagine that being a legit 7 footer if he could bulk up he could be moved to center if they were to draft or sign a better PF. Sometime in the future that is, not immediately.

[Lottery_Mafia]

I see your point about Zeller but I feel because MKG ha seniority and his offensive game is the biggest priorty for the coaching staff right now that you need to work the offense to give him more opportunities. The majority of Cody's offense is going to come from put backs and transition. We have to remember that Zeller is only 20 and is the long term solution and Jefferson is short term to give Zeller the right of passage to eventually start as the center.

I also understand where you are coming from, but lets remember MKG is still just 19 and I think it was Dunlap who said his offence and jump shot is still 2-3 years away. Zeller is already a much more polished player, his footwork is fundamentally sound and he has a higher basketball IQ. IMO this makes him the more senior of the two players on the basketball court.

I get your point about MKG needing touches in order to improve and he still will get touches, but I personally think Zeller should get more. I have to say I disagree about the putbacks and transition comment, I think that type of comment would be better suited to Biz than Zeller.

Like a previous poster said, if Zeller plays the 5 in the NBA he is going to get manhandled, he easily has the speed and footwork to play PF, one of the things that impressed me most in summer league was his ability to hedge screens and stay with the guard then recover. Granted however like previous people have posted there is a difference between Mekel and John Wall/Lillard/Westbrook... But things do look promising

[JT2006]

I see your point about Zeller but I feel because MKG ha seniority and his offensive game is the biggest priorty for the coaching staff right now that you need to work the offense to give him more opportunities. The majority of Cody's offense is going to come from put backs and transition. We have to remember that Zeller is only 20 and is the long term solution and Jefferson is short term to give Zeller the right of passage to eventually start as the center.

zeller is the power forward bro.

Im aware of that, but you would have to imagine that being a legit 7 footer if he could bulk up he could be moved to center if they were to draft or sign a better PF. Sometime in the future that is, not immediately.

a legit 7 footer at power forward who can move the floor, pass well, handle the ball like a forward and shoot it like a forward too, is better than that same skill set in a center. He's clearly an NBA PF. In a center these days you want defensive rim presence and the ability to guard the pick and roll. Anything else on a center is gravy, really.

[mcaponi2]

I'll give that. In today's nba the center position is all about the defensive anchor and rim protector. I only say transition and put backs because those were two of his specialties in college.