Charlotte Hornets: Weekly Power Rankings, Pre-Preseason Edition

6.) Cody Zeller

Zeller didn’t have a great rookie campaign, but I expect him to improve tremendously in the upcoming season, despite the fact that he’s going to remain a bench player for another year.

The former Indiana star struggled in half court sets, but was able to use his athleticism to excel in transition. Thanks to his ability to beat his defenders down the length of the court, 13.1 percent of all of Zeller’s points came in fast break situations.

This season, the Hornets would benefit tremendously from Zeller developing a reliable midrange jumper. He was a horrific shooter last season, and his inability to hit anything outside of the paint made him a very predictable pick and roll player. Zeller’s face-up game would improve exponentially if he were able to add a solid jumpshot to his offensive arsenal, but until then, he can’t crack Charlotte’s top five.