NBA Power Rankings: All 30 Starting Centers
By Shane Young
30. Tyler Zeller — Boston Celtics
If there’s one forgotten man in the league, it’s Boston’s newest big man.
Zeller gets lost in the shuffle with his younger brother Cody, but he really shouldn’t. Tyler was the one that built a reputation playing with Tyler Hansbrough for a season at North Carolina, and then succeeding him in the frontcourt.
Two seasons ago with the Cavaliers, Zeller was all Byron Scott had under center when dealing with Varejao’s injuries (something constant). Transitioning into 2013-14, Zeller started in 46 less games than 2012-13, and played 11.4 less minutes per game. With that, his production was held back, but his efficiency became even greater. On nearly three less attempts per night, Zeller shot 10 percent better from the field, and his PER jumped to 15.43 on the year.
He’s headed in the right direction, but doesn’t include the scoring skills to lock up a full-time starting spot. Thus, he’ll be in and out of the lineup for Brad Stevens, as many Celtics fans enjoyed what they seen from Vitor Faverani and Kelly Olynyk. The big men for Boston is just a group of hogwash that can’t be sorted out properly, and it serves as one of the two reasons they’ll win less than 30 games (again). The other reason? Rajon Rondo‘s time in TD Garden will be up before the season’s end.
Zeller showed improvement in running on the break with Cleveland and finishing in those situations, and playing off pick-and-roll action with the Cavaliers’ guards. He wants to be known for his rim-protecting services, but it’s not completely possible. He’s still not proven that his body size can hold opposing centers from getting to their spots near the restricted area. On the upside for the future, however, his athleticism continues to be underrated, and he’s more mobile than most 7-footers that weigh over 250 pounds.