The Summer Improvements of Tyler Zeller

The Cavaliers second year man center Tyler Zeller out of North Carolina needs to make some steps forward to really help the Cavs this season. Tyler Zeller was the back-up center at the start of the season however, soon became the starter because of the health issues of Anderson Varejao. Coming out of college Zeller had a few questions marks including would his game translate to the NBA well?

The biggest question though was could he match up and take the banging and physical play that comes with being in the paint. So, the most important thing Zeller needed to do was go to the gym and bulk up and add muscle. The other thing that would take Zeller’s game to the next level would to develop a more reliable mid-range jump shot. This would definitely help the Cavs in the pick-n-roll as well as their pick-n-pop game. If Zeller can consistently knock down the 15 to 17 foot jump shot it will help the Cavs’ floor spacing which will allow Kyrie Irving to operate in the lane. This possibility would help the entire team overall. Another problem with Zeller is his rebounding. As a seven footer you need to rebound the ball and rebounding at a 5.7 clip a game will not get the job done. However, playing at the USA showcase with help him understand how the ball reacts off the rim and where he needs to be by the way it bounces. Also, having workouts with Anderson Varejao as a rebounding partner should help him as a driven rebounding because before getting injured Anderson Varejao was leading the league in rebounding. These are the improvements Zeller needs to make to truly become a big part of the Cavs success.

Even though those are the issues Tyler Zeller has he does do many things well. One thing he does well is he is very athletic and quick especially for a big guy which allows him to run the floor well. That is important because he can outrun his opponent especially in transition and get easy baskets for the Cavs. This is also important because a big man that can run and hustle is a type of player that has good chemistry with Kyrie Irving because he likes to push the ball in transition and try to get easy baskets before the opposing team sets up their defense. Another thing that is impressive about Zeller is he is a smart player and has a high basketball IQ meaning he knows where to be at certain times which helps Kyrie Irving again. This helps to round-out the team’s offense. Also, he can only make this relationship stronger which leads to smoother better play in the future. He also comes across as a good teammate which means he will have your back and help out in any way if that means taking a charge or getting in the middle of a fight between players. Even though we added Andrew Bynum during the offseason, Zeller will get an opportunity because Bynum and Varejao have injury issues. They are so fragile that Varejao missed ¾ of the season with wrist and knee problems while Bynum did not play any basketball last season due to injury. Also, a big part of being a post player is one’s footwork and Zeller has arguably the best footwork in the league which is impressive since he is only entering his sophomore season. Tyler Zeller was so impressive that he was invited to the USA basketball showcase and impressed there before injuring his finger.

So, hopefully Tyler Zeller took this summer to work on some of the weakness of his game and hone the better parts of his game. The Cavaliers should have high expectations for Zeller and if he contributes the way he can; our center rotation could easily become the best in the National Basketball Association.

-Dalya Oprian