Deeptu McPullup wrote:I see SteveMcQ’s Nene comparison for Zeller with the similarity being how they operate offensively in the halfcourt.
Like Steve, I see Zeller’s first step as being pure nasty and his craftiness out of the post off the dribble or as a passer is Nenesque. I believe he’ll be more of a poor man’s Nene in those roles with less power, but his perimeter skill set should be higher. Some of Nene’s passing is also predicated on those huge hands, so I don’t know that Zeller can match that exactly, but he’s got great vision. However, contrary to some here, I don’t know how a seven footer with his handles, foot work, quickness, agility and free throw stroke is being disparaged for poor perimeter potential.
While I agree that he can easily fill out his frame, it’s indeed a bridge too far to think about him ever packing on the sheer power that Nene posses (to be fair, Steve did say some many pages back “a quicker but weaker Nene”). That said, the “Zeller is weak” talk is just a product of Cody attracting attention from such a young age. Guys that age with Conan The Roll Man frames like Kiwi Adams or Bowling Ball Bennet are exceptional.
Here’s a real good Cody game to watch:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTyLJeaGOzo[/youtube]
It’s the Freshman to Freshman foray versus Brow Davis in the sweet 16. Both Zeller and AD get into foul trouble in the first half, so you only need to watch about the first 8 minutes of the game and then can fast forward to the second half (unless you want to watch Vic-Ola-D against the Wildcat wings).
They go to Zeller a lot, so it’s an excellent scouting tape considering the competition.
It is good competition and Zeller acquitted himself pretty well. But Zeller's strengths have been discussed at length and this game did nothing to address the concerns regarding his transition at the next level.
Zeller really struggles with strength. Even with all the weight he's added this past season, he's still weak. He gets pushed around so easily. I could show you tape against Minnesota or Syracuse that happened more recently, against non NBA talent, where Zeller really didn't look like a lottery prospect. I don't know if Zeller is ever going to have the core strength to really hold his own. Zeller did ok against Davis mainly because he didn't have to worry about getting mauled or roughed up. Davis is a PF prospect who uses length & athleticism to impact the game not brute force.
Secondly, I worry about Zeller's defensive impact. What position does he guard? His length at 8'10" is a legitimate issue. It's not ideal at all. So if his length & strength are both concerns, he really becomes a risky proposition the higher he goes.
Thirdly, is his skillset offensively. I'm less worried about this because I did read that he did come to Indiana with more of a face up game and had good range on his jumper. I'm worried about the fact he wasn't able to utilize those skills at Indiana, because if you don't use them, you could lose them. However, I suspect he'll work hard on that aspect and I'm glad he recognizes the need to show a perimeter game on the pro level.
All in all, Zeller is a guy I see as a backup. If he's drafted in the teens, I suspect a team will be happy with what they get. If he's drafted in the top half of the lottery, there may be some slight disappointment. I think he is fairly quick & mobile, runs the floor very well and shows excellent touch & craftiness around the rim, however his physical profile is going to limit him at the pro level. He may serve as a solid energy big off the bench, but it's hard for me to see much more beyond a rotation level role for him.
