Z-Rex: The Cody Zeller Thread

mrknowitall215 · Post #1281 » by **mrknowitall215** » Fri Jan 3, 2014 8:06 pm

ESPN: Best and worst of rookie class so far

Most disappointing rookie?

Danny Nowell, TrueHoop Network: Cody Zeller. I'll forgo piling on Anthony Bennett -- I'd argue he was always a reach and doesn't deserve the ridicule more appropriately directed at the Cavs -- and point out that Charlotte's rookie has failed to deliver on hopes that included ROY contention. Zeller is shooting 2-for-20 over his past four games, and he hasn't come close to showing he can deal with the speed of the NBA game.

Post #1282 » by **JDR720** » Fri Jan 3, 2014 9:01 pm

5pts and 4rebs for a rookie PF in 17mins is decent but he has to shoot better there is no question about it, taking 5.6shots to get 5.2 points is bad. i'd try and use him in some pick and roll's where he can use his quickness and attack the rim instead of him just hanging around on the perimeter shooting jumpers which he cant make consistently yet. and use him in transition more he is a race horse, use him the right way and his shooting % should improve a lot

JazzMatt13 · Post #1283 » by **JazzMatt13** » Fri Jan 3, 2014 9:17 pm

Anthony Bennett deserves all the ridicule, the dude isn't a factor at all. Zeller is.

I only came by, because I want to know what is up with that dunk by Zeller.

tondi123 · Post #1284 » by **tondi123** » Fri Jan 3, 2014 9:58 pm

If he is going to miss all his shots anyway, why not have him take a step back and start shooting 3's instead of having every friggin shot being taken a step inside the line? Josh shoots several a game and while he misses most of them at least he is getting the most bang for his buck if he's going to hoist long jumpers. The long 2 is the least efficient shot on the court so why do we have Zeller launching brick after brick from a foot inside the line instead of shooting 3's? As soon as he starts hitting wide open jumpers the rest of his offensive game will start to look much better as his defender won't be able to give him a 5ft cushion on the perimeter.

mrknowitall215 · Post #1285 » by **mrknowitall215** » Fri Jan 3, 2014 10:15 pm

tondi123 wrote:If he is going to miss all his shots anyway, why not have him take a step back and start shooting 3's instead of having every friggin shot being taken a step inside the line? Josh shoots several a game and while he misses most of them at least he is getting the most bang for his buck if he's going to hoist long jumpers. The long 2 is the least efficient shot on the court so why do we have Zeller launching brick after brick from a foot inside the line instead of shooting 3's? As soon as he starts hitting wide open jumpers the rest of his offensive game will start to look much better as his defender won't be able to give him a 5ft cushion on the perimeter.

...because he has to learn to crawl before he can learn to walk. If he can't consistently make wide open 15 ft jump shots, then he will massively struggle attempting 3-pointers from 23 ft out. He's not a pure shooter, or even a streaky shooter. This is baby steps. They are basically re-inventing his style of basketball which is something you shouldn't have to do with a top-5 pick

Elden Payton · Post #1286 » by **Elden Payton** » Fri Jan 3, 2014 11:22 pm

JazzMatt13 wrote:Anthony Bennett deserves all the ridicule, the dude isn't a factor at all. Zeller is.

I only came by, because I want to know what is up with that dunk by Zeller.

Watching it live, I assumed he anticipated the contact by Griffin.

When it didn't come he had to try to make the rim...

OMFG is all I can say.

Liver_Pooty · Post #1287 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Fri Jan 3, 2014 11:25 pm

That missed dunk was the last straw for me defending him for a while. Make it and its one those whoa.... moments. He was short by a foot.

Post #1288 » by **JDR720** » Fri Jan 3, 2014 11:52 pm

He should be a lot better at least at shooting next season after a whole off season to practice shooting

mrknowitall215 · Post #1289 » by **mrknowitall215** » Sat Jan 4, 2014 12:13 am

Question: Should Zeller work on shooting or building muscle during the offseason? Reason I ask is because he can only do one or the other. You can't build muscle memory & a rhythmic pattern to your shot all the while lifting weights profusely during the same period

Liver_Pooty · Post #1290 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Sat Jan 4, 2014 12:18 am

mrknowitall215 wrote:Question: Should Zeller work on shooting or building muscle during the offseason? Reason I ask is because he can only do one or the other. You can't build muscle memory & a rhythmic pattern to your shot all the while lifting weights profusely during the same period

Isn't just shooting. He needs to work on every facet of the game while being on a diligent weight training program. I don't want him to go all Hulk Hogan over the Summer.

mrknowitall215 · Post #1291 » by **mrknowitall215** » Sat Jan 4, 2014 12:25 am

Liver_Pooty wrote:
mrknowitall215 wrote:Question: Should Zeller work on shooting or building muscle during the offseason? Reason I ask is because he can only do one or the other. You can't build muscle memory & a rhythmic pattern to your shot all the while lifting weights profusely during the same period

Isn't just shooting. He needs to work on every facet of the game while being on a diligent weight training program. I don't want him to go all Hulk Hogan over the Summer.

I don't think there's that many holes in his game. He need to perfect or improve on at least one aspect at a time. Otherwise, he'll return the same player that he is now. So, being that you said that he shouldn't lift profusely & keep it diligently with the weight lifting like I'm sure he currently already is as the season goes, what specific area do you think he need to enhance in his game? Shooting? Post moves? or other?

Liver_Pooty · Post #1292 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Sat Jan 4, 2014 12:28 am

mrknowitall215 wrote:
Liver_Pooty wrote:
mrknowitall215 wrote:Question: Should Zeller work on shooting or building muscle during the offseason? Reason I ask is because he can only do one or the other. You can't build muscle memory & a rhythmic pattern to your shot all the while lifting weights profusely during the same period

Isn't just shooting. He needs to work on every facet of the game while being on a diligent weight training program. I don't want him to go all Hulk Hogan over the Summer.

I don't think there's that many holes in his game. He need to perfect or improve on at least one aspect at a time. Otherwise, he'll return the same player that he is now. So, being that you said that he shouldn't lift profusely & keep it diligently with the weight lifting like I'm sure he currently already is as the season goes, what specific area do you think he need to enhance in his game? Shooting? Post moves? or other?

Shooting and film study. Learning how to actually be a PF as opposed to what he's been most of his life, a center.

mrknowitall215 · Post #1293 » by **mrknowitall215** » Sat Jan 4, 2014 12:33 am

Liver_Pooty wrote:
mrknowitall215 wrote:
Liver_Pooty wrote:
Isn't just shooting. He needs to work on every facet of the game while being on a diligent weight training program. I don't want him to go all Hulk Hogan over the Summer.

I don't think there's that many holes in his game. He need to perfect or improve on at least one aspect at a time. Otherwise, he'll return the same player that he is now. So, being that you said that he shouldn't lift profusely & keep it diligently with the weight lifting like I'm sure he currently already is as the season goes, what specific area do you think he need to enhance in his game? Shooting? Post moves? or other?

Shooting and film study. Learning how to actually be a PF as opposed to what he's been most of his life, a center.

That'll be a start towards Zeller becoming better than McRoberts. I agree, I think shooting would make him at least serviceable. Once Zeller get that midrange jump shot, defenses will have to respect him from there, and it'll open up his ability to use his athleticism to his advantage

tondi123 · Post #1294 » by **tondi123** » Sat Jan 4, 2014 12:48 am

mrknowitall215 wrote:
tondi123 wrote:If he is going to miss all his shots anyway, why not have him take a step back and start shooting 3's instead of having every friggin shot being taken a step inside the line? Josh shoots several a game and while he misses most of them at least he is getting the most bang for his buck if he's going to hoist long jumpers. The long 2 is the least efficient shot on the court so why do we have Zeller launching brick after brick from a foot inside the line instead of shooting 3's? As soon as he starts hitting wide open jumpers the rest of his offensive game will start to look much better as his defender won't be able to give him a 5ft cushion on the perimeter.

...because he has to learn to crawl before he can learn to walk. If he can't consistently make wide open 15 ft jump shots, then he will massively struggle attempting 3-pointers from 23 ft out. He's not a pure shooter, or even a streaky shooter. This is baby steps. They are basically re-inventing his style of basketball which is something you shouldn't have to do with a top-5 pick

I agree but he's constantly taking jumpers well in excess of 15 feet. He's taken a ton of jumpers within a step of the 3pt line. I would advocate either having him move in closer to take his shots or taking a step back to at least have a shot at a 3. Shooting wide open 20+ footers (and bricking all of them) doesn't make any sense. If he were shooting a respectable percentage from 20ft it would be a moot point but since he isn't hitting them at all whats the harm in getting him used to shooting 3's? I would think it would be less of a ding to his confidence to brick 3 pointers than to brick 2pters. He has also taken many long jumpers when there was nobody within several feet of him. It would be a good idea for somebody to tell him it's OK to dribble in a step or two (to get into that 15ft range) before shooting if the defense is going to ignore his jump shot.

thruthefire · Post #1295 » by **thruthefire** » Sat Jan 4, 2014 12:55 am

Never take a white American that early in the draft. Only half-joking.

mrknowitall215 · Post #1296 » by **mrknowitall215** » Sat Jan 4, 2014 12:56 am

tondi123 wrote:
mrknowitall215 wrote:
tondi123 wrote:If he is going to miss all his shots anyway, why not have him take a step back and start shooting 3's instead of having every friggin shot being taken a step inside the line? Josh shoots several a game and while he misses most of them at least he is getting the most bang for his buck if he's going to hoist long jumpers. The long 2 is the least efficient shot on the court so why do we have Zeller launching brick after brick from a foot inside the line instead of shooting 3's? As soon as he starts hitting wide open jumpers the rest of his offensive game will start to look much better as his defender won't be able to give him a 5ft cushion on the perimeter.

...because he has to learn to crawl before he can learn to walk. If he can't consistently make wide open 15 ft jump shots, then he will massively struggle attempting 3-pointers from 23 ft out. He's not a pure shooter, or even a streaky shooter. This is baby steps. They are basically re-inventing his style of basketball which is something you shouldn't have to do with a top-5 pick

I agree but he's constantly taking jumpers well in excess of 15 feet. He's taken a ton of jumpers within a step of the 3pt line. I would advocate either having him move in closer to take his shots or taking a step back to at least have a shot at a 3. Shooting wide open 20+ footers (and bricking all of them) doesn't make any sense. If he were shooting a respectable percentage from 20ft it would be a moot point but since he isn't hitting them at all whats the harm in getting him used to shooting 3's? I would think it would be less of a ding to his confidence to brick 3 pointers than to brick 2pters. He has also taken many long jumpers when there was nobody within several feet of him. It would be a good idea for somebody to tell him it's OK to dribble in a step or two (to get into that 15ft range) before shooting if the defense is going to ignore his jump shot.

I honestly would prefer to see him attempt 3-pointers because that's what a 'real' stretch 4 does, and everything that you touched on does make sense. The only quarrel I have with your stance of the matter is that I remember Mike Dunlap instilling the same thought process into Byron Mullens about attempting 3-pointers instead of long 2-point shots, and it didn't work out too well. That's why I might be a little aback to it, but at least Mullens had a decent midrange jump shot he would consistently make if he had a good look. I can't say the same for Zeller, so maybe he should try something different. He might be a better long distance shooter than midrange. It's totally possible

Post #1297 » by **JDR720** » Sat Jan 4, 2014 1:28 am

he might be a good 3pt shooter from the top of the 3pt line, that is where he shoots midrange jumpers the best

LamarMatic7 · Post #1298 » by **LamarMatic7** » Sat Jan 4, 2014 11:03 am

thruthefire wrote:Never take a white American that early in the draft. Only half-joking.

I usually quarter-joke about this.

Red Larrivee · Post #1299 » by **Red Larrivee** » Sat Jan 4, 2014 5:14 pm

At least people are realizing now that the team reached by taking him 4th. He's 7'0 tall and shooting 35% from the field. He doesn't have a premium NBA skill to his name.

The Bobcats drafted him to be a stretch 4 because he made unguarded 3-point shots in a workout. It dosen't get much worse.

Funny part is Zeller hasn't attempted a 3-point shot this season.

catch20two · Post #1300 » by **catch20two** » Sat Jan 4, 2014 5:42 pm

Red Larrivee wrote:At least people are realizing now that the team reached by taking him 4th. He's 7'0 tall and shooting 35% from the field. He doesn't have a premium NBA skill to his name.

The Bobcats drafted him to be a stretch 4 because he made unguarded 3-point shots in a workout. It dosen't get much worse.

Funny part is Zeller hasn't attempted a 3-point shot this season.

Ditto. But now that he's here now. We have no choice but to hope he develop somehow into a good player. I don't think just throwing him out on the floor is going to help tho. A good stint in the D-league or maybe less minutes to come along slow will.