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Boston Celtics: Tyler Zeller Continues To Impress

By Eric Laboissonniere

Feb 2, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Boston Celtics center Tyler Zeller (44) slam dunks the ball in front of New York Knicks center Robin Lopez (8) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden. The Celtics defeated the Knicks 97-89. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 2, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Boston Celtics center Tyler Zeller (44) slam dunks the ball in front of New York Knicks center Robin Lopez (8) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden. The Celtics defeated the Knicks 97-89. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tyler Zeller has recorded 17 DNPs this season, but over the past five games he has made his way back into the rotation to help out the Boston Celtics.

The Boston Celtics are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference, and they have won nine out of their last 10 games. They have beaten some pretty good teams over this stretch including the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Detroit Pistons. The Celtics have made a big leap in the standings on this win streak, and Tyler Zeller is a big reason why.

Over the past four games, Zeller is averaging 13.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 20.5 MPG. Coach Brad Stevens is certainly starting to use Zeller more, and he has even helped the team win some close games. He put up 16 points against the New York Knicks and the Cavs, and in the Celtics’ last game he added 17 points against the Sacramento Kings. Zeller has averaged 5.5 PPG on the season, and that is because he was not given the opportunity to play much during the season, due to the crowded frontcourt. Now that coach Stevens has realized that David Lee cannot contribute on both ends, he has started to use Zeller a lot more.

Zeller is pretty good two-way center/power forward, and he should have never been completely out of the rotation. Yes, players like Jonas Jerebko and Kelly Olynyk add three-point shooting in the frontcourt, but Zeller adds shot-blocking and consistent scoring from around the rim. He has even shown that he can step out a bit and hit the mid-range jumper during this stretch. The Celtics do lack rim-protection in the frontcourt, other than Amir Johnson, which is why Zeller should become an even more important part of the rotation going forward.

Zeller’s Outlook

It might be hard for Zeller to keep putting up these numbers as the season goes on, but if he is given the opportunity to play at least 15 minutes a game, then he should be able to help the team on both ends of the floor. He is shooting over 50 percent from the floor, and he has shown during this stretch that he can still help the Celtics in a variety of ways.

Zeller has been able to add a spark off the bench along with Evan Turner who has also been playing really well during this impressive streak. Boston should be thrilled that they are getting a lot out of Zeller off the bench, and they should keep giving him the opportunity to play big minutes, even if the game is close. Zeller can play in crunch-time as well, especially if he is having one of those games were he is making most of his shots from the field and cleaning up on the glass.

Overall

The Celtics are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, and coach Brad Stevens seems to have a grasp on Boston’s rotation. Zeller should have never not been a part of the rotation, and now hopefully Celtics’ fans realize that.

More hoops habit: 25 Best Players to Play for the Boston Celtics

17 DNPs for Zeller is unexplainable seeing how well he has been playing when given the opportunity. When Zeller is confident, he is hard to stop on the offensive end, and watch for him to continue his impressive play against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

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