NBA: Ranking all 30 starting centers for 2019-20

Cody Zeller, one of the holdovers for what appears to be a dreadful Charlotte Hornets club, won’t wow anyone with his athleticism or his highlight reel.

But when he’s healthy, he’s a decent NBA center. That’s about it.

The problem the last two seasons has been staying healthy. Zeller was limited to just 33 games with a torn meniscus in 2017-18 and last season missed 33 games with sore ribs, a broken right hand and finally a left knee injury that sidelined him for the last three weeks.

Charlotte went 9-7 over the last 16 games with Zeller sidelined, but still fell short of the playoffs for the third straight season, a trend likely to continue with the departure of All-NBA point guard Kemba Walker.

Zeller doesn’t have a great deal of competition for the job with the Hornets, backed up by the expiring contract of Bismack Biyombo, the inconsistent Willy Hernangomez and camp signees Thomas Welch and Robert Franks.

In 49 games last season, Zeller averaged 10.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25,.4 minutes per game, shooting 55.1 percent overall. He took a career-high 22 3-pointers last season, converting only six for a 27.3 percent rate.

He does most of his offensive work inside, taking 88 percent of his shots from 10 feet in and he’s got the usual package of moves down low, with a nice baby hook and the ability to complete plays on the pick-and-roll.

The Hornets were 4.2 points better per 100 possessions with Zeller on the floor and he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes with the ball. Defensively, he’s limited — not a rim protector and a player who can struggle against speed and quickness.

Zeller will be asked to take on more of a leadership role for the … doing something, but not really rebuilding … Hornets, who figure to plummet from the middle to the basement in the Eastern Conference.