Sophomore Season Could Hold Key to Career Relevance for Hornet Cody Zeller
It wasn't a big deal that Cody Zeller underperformed his rookie year. The veterans stepped up and led the team on a feel-good run.
But if Zeller can't build on what was a promising second half of last season, it could mean bad news for everyone involved.
For starters, it puts a dark cloud on Zeller's outlook as a prospect. One rough season is reasonable. Two in a row calls for panic.
A disappointing year from Zeller might also hurt the Charlotte Hornets, a team that could use all the firepower it can get. The Hornets finished No. 24 in offensive efficiency last season, and then lost Josh McRoberts (free agency), who ranked third on the team in scoring, second in rebounding and second in assists.
Charlotte's backcourt got a nice boost with the addition of Lance Stephenson, and that should make it tougher. But in terms of frontcourt depth, Al Jefferson might need some support.
As a 2013 No. 4 pick with two years of college ball under his belt, Zeller should be expected to contribute regular, productive minutes in 2015.
Even with the departure of McRoberts, Zeller looks poised for a role off the bench, but that shouldn't diminish its significance.
The Hornets bench is pretty weak. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bismack Biyombo aren't giving you much offense, and Gary Neal shot 35.3 percent from the field last season.
Marvin Williams starting at the 4 doesn't exactly scream mismatch either.
Zeller has an important job to do this upcoming season. The Hornets are going to need someone to step in and keep the pressure on when Jefferson takes a seat.
And that has to be on Zeller, who was drafted as high as he was based on his size, athleticism and offensive game.
But it's pretty clear he'll have some adjustments and improvements to make moving forward. Zeller's weaknesses and concerns from college seemed to carry over to the pros, while he's had trouble tapping into his strengths.
He's just not very good at taking or playing through contact. That showed at Indiana, and it showed last year in Charlotte, where he shot just 54.3 percent at the rim. His undersized, sub-6'11" wingspan doesn't help.
"Taking the ball stronger to the basket. ... that's one of the things he has to do a better job of," assistant coach Patrick Ewing told Fox News.
Adding upper-body strength will help, which, according to coach Steve Clifford, he did this summer, but Zeller will ultimately have to evolve into more of a stretch or pick-and-pop big man.
Last year, he failed to capitalize on the perimeter despite showing shooting potential out of college. Zeller hit just 27.3 percent of his shots from 16 feet out to the arc, per sports-reference.com.
He has to become a threat in the mid-to-long range next year. Not only will it help stretch the defense, but he'll get more balanced looks on straight up-and-down jumpers than he will trying to finish in traffic down low.
"I think that is going to add so much more to my game," Zeller said referring to his jumper via Fox News. "It will open more driving lanes for me and open more for my teammates. That's something I have been working on."
Defense is a whole other issue. Zeller averaged 4.3 personal fouls per 36 minutes and blocked just 41 shots in 82 games in 2013-14. Chances are defense will take some time, which he's expected to get this year, though Zeller doesn't quite project as your traditional rim protector.
On the bright side, he did appear to find somewhat of a groove down the stretch of last year. He shot 55.8 percent in March and 51.3 percent in April, numbers that helped raise the bar for him in 2014-15.
Hopefully for the Hornets, Zeller starts where he left off, given the positive vibes and expectations surrounding the franchise.
In what looks like a mediocre East outside the top few teams, Charlotte might not need Zeller to sneak into the playoffs. Between Kemba Walker, Jefferson and Stevenson, plus Gerald Henderson now a fourth option, this team is going to win some games.
But an effective Zeller up front—one that runs the floor, knocks down open shots and finishes opportunistically inside—could really add a much-needed punch of frontcourt offense. If he's on his game this year, the Hornets could have weapons at every position.
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