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Ranking The Top NBA Players By Age: Age 23

By Gerald Bourguet

Nov 3, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) dunks over Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Magic defeated the Pelicans 103-94. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 3, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) dunks over Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Magic defeated the Pelicans 103-94. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 9, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller (40) reaches for a ball in the first quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

15. Cody Zeller

Most casual NBA fans would probably be surprised to see the Charlotte Hornets‘ impressive 37-29 record and then realize that Cody Zeller has been the team’s starting center for 45 of those games, but it’s the truth. Perhaps Michael Jordan wasn’t as foolish to take him in the 2013 NBA Draft as so many people thought?

Okay, so maybe taking him fourth overall — ahead of Alex Len, Nerlens Noel, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, C.J. McCollum, Steven Adams and Giannis Antetokounmpo — was less than ideal, but Zeller has been decent enough in his third NBA season, averaging 9.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 51 percent from the floor.

He’s hardly thought of as a defensive stalwart, but the Hornets do rank ninth in defensive efficiency. Zeller doesn’t have three-point range, nor is he much of a rim protector, but he’s done what Steve Clifford has asked of him as the team’s starting center.

Next: No. 14