Tyler Zeller: CHOCOLATE SNOW !!!

[B3team]

Kudos to Grant for scrambling to draft Zeller unexpectedly like he did. I remember Grant talking about how he even planned for unexpected things like this to happen where, if player X drops, we have already agreed that it is worth it to trade all four picks for this player. That's a great way to take a complex thing like the draft and make it a little bit easier. He basically broke down the different situations that could occur algorithmically beforehand. "If X, then Y" is what Grant planned for instead of being there on the draft where he could be like "X just happened, so should we Y?" Planning all of this beforehand allowed him to foresee more things than if he had not done so. So far, Zeller is looking like a steal.

This should be common sense, but I'm still glad to hear they do it.

[kovanovich]

This should be common sense, but I'm still glad to hear they do it.

Yes, but the NBA draft moves very quickly, so it's really more about the actual execution of the plan than the plan itself. I suspect there might be more trades if there were more time between picks.

[CleveRocks]

Kudos to Grant for scrambling to draft Zeller unexpectedly like he did. I remember Grant talking about how he even planned for unexpected things like this to happen where, if player X drops, we have already agreed that it is worth it to trade all four picks for this player. That's a great way to take a complex thing like the draft and make it a little bit easier. He basically broke down the different situations that could occur algorithmically beforehand. "If X, then Y" is what Grant planned for instead of being there on the draft where he could be like "X just happened, so should we Y?" Planning all of this beforehand allowed him to foresee more things than if he had not done so. So far, Zeller is looking like a steal.

Most of the Bigs from this draft are looking better than I expected. Bernard James is having a very good rookie campaign for Dallas. Obvious Davis is terrific, and although T-Rob looks a little less so, there aren't many clear busts. Drummond looking solid, Leonard looking OK, Sullinger with Double Doubles, our own Zeller, Festus Ezili, James. I have not seen anything from Melo, or of course PJIII, but at the center position anyway, i did not expect them all to play as well as they have.

[Pioneer10]

In the 4th quarter you saw, Zeller playing similar to how he did before he got hurt against the Clippers. He can finish quickly around the basket (here's looking at you Tristan) and does a lot of things well. Once he gets his jumper going, I don't see why he can't be a good starting calibre big in the league.

Weird game: our frontcourt between AV, TT, Zeller, and Gee did more then enough to win but Irving and Waiters dragged the team down. Don't hear that often

[kidduck]

Zeller has a good sense of where to be on the court to make the right play. Nice to see that trait in a Rook.

[hud11]

Zeller is solid, I'd like to see them run some plays for him, either more consistent pick and pops or post-ups. Let's give the guy a shot, he is a very fundamentally sound player, plus with decent athleticism, that block on Richardson was choice. If Thompson could develop a jump hook similar to Zeller, he'd jump up a couple of levels. Long-term I can see him as 12-16pt 7-10reb guy.

[Cavatt]

Zeller is solid, I'd like to see them run some plays for him, either more consistent pick and pops or post-ups. Let's give the guy a shot, he is a very fundamentally sound player, plus with decent athleticism, that block on Richardson was choice. If Thompson could develop a jump hook similar to Zeller, he'd jump up a couple of levels. Long-term I can see him as 12-16pt 7-10reb guy.

Especially if he is in there along with AV I'd like to see Zeller work in the post a little. He can hit a jump hook with either hand. I think they should run the offense through him on the 2nd unit. He can pass out of the post and pick and pop. Too premature most likely to so strongly feature him in the offense, but I'd rather see him get touches than 0 chucking and making 0.

[Randolphkeys]

Especially if he is in there along with AV I'd like to see Zeller work in the post a little. He can hit a jump hook with either hand. I think they should run the offense through him on the 2nd unit. He can pass out of the post and pick and pop. Too premature most likely to so strongly feature him in the offense, but I'd rather see him get touches than 0 chucking and making 0.

One of my favorite things to watch this season is Zeller's adjustment to the pro game. It's pretty clear that he is used to being the biggest and strongest guy on the court, but now he is a little light in the caboose and weaker than some of the veterans he's battling for position.

I've read the physical peak for strength is somewhere around age 27-32, so he is going to put on more muscle mass in the coming years. He just isn't quite there yet. Sometimes I see him go flying three or four feet because he caught an errant shove under the boards.

The positive side is that he is smarter than most rookies and knows positioning. His elbows-out rebounds are going to get some veterans pissed off eventually. I still think the DeAndre Jordan elbow to the face was a not so subtle message. Zeller also has a hard-nosed game. He is going to lose some shoving matches in the paint, but he doesn't ease off. The rebound he grabbed last night away from Jason Richardson was a highlight of the uneventful Cavs effort.

Zeller is solid, but I think we will see him mature even more as his body catches up to his effort and frame.

[Jon]

Everyone else is getting their chance to heave up shots ... I can't think of a single reason TZ shouldn't get his chance to go 6 for 14 too.

[Lottery God]

One of my favorite things to watch this season is Zeller's adjustment to the pro game. It's pretty clear that he is used to being the biggest and strongest guy on the court, but now he is a little light in the caboose and weaker than some of the veterans he's battling for position.

I've read the physical peak for strength is somewhere around age 27-32, so he is going to put on more muscle mass in the coming years. He just isn't quite there yet. Sometimes I see him go flying three or four feet because he caught an errant shove under the boards.

The positive side is that he is smarter than most rookies and knows positioning. His elbows-out rebounds are going to get some veterans pissed off eventually. I still think the DeAndre Jordan elbow to the face was a not so subtle message. Zeller also has a hard-nosed game. He is going to lose some shoving matches in the paint, but he doesn't ease off. The rebound he grabbed last night away from Jason Richardson was a highlight of the uneventful Cavs effort.

Zeller is solid, but I think we will see him mature even more as his body catches up to his effort and frame.

Strength actually peaks in the 30s-40s if you go all-out for life. In the ultimate sport of strength, powerlifting, all of the records are held by guys in their 30s and 40s. It's too bad that all the other aspects of athleticism (explosiveness, agility, speed, vertical, etc.) and endurance don't peak later or else we'd see other athletes peaking later as well.

[Jon]

Anything's possible with enough steroids and PEDs ... just ask Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds.

[Rich]

His pick and roll defense is really bad right now.

[JSS2306]

Tyler is fundamentally sound. I really like his game and he's well ahead of schedule as far as court awareness is concerned. He's smart and I see him developing quite nicely. Struggles with his shot sometimes but nothing that isn't fixable. Great pick by the Cavs.

[ArchieBunker7]

His pick and roll defense is really bad right now.

You're right, it is. But, it's nothing too surprising. I think he has the knowledge, court awareness, and athleticism to improve on it, though. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see a marked improvement by the All-Star break.

[Pioneer10]

Zeller is going to be a very good pick and roll big for Kyrie and Waiters in the years to come. He hasn't put it all together yet: today his jumper was off but you can see it coming. He finished well with either hand, he can shoot the hook over other centers and I think his jumper will become pretty solid out to 20 feet. Once he gets more muscle, teams are going to have a tough time going over the screens because Zeller will kill them cutting to the basket. When him and AV are in the game, you can't afford to come off either of them because they get in good spots to score.

Too bad we really havent' been fully healthy: I think the bench trouble that really prevented a hot start by us wouldn't have been nearly much of an issue if Zeller had been healthy at the same Kyrie was. Plus it took awhile for Boobie to come untracked and we had to work Pargo ahead of Sloan into the rotation