Solid.
When you talk to people about North Carolina center and likely lottery pick Tyler Zeller, that is the word that keeps coming up. Solid. Guys move up the draft board because they get the word “upside” attached to them, but if you can get a solid big man who can step in and play now late in the lottery you’ve done well.
And that’s what you get with the 7’0” Zeller, who likely gets drafted in the 11-15 range.
Philadelphia is in that range, so CSNPhilly.com talked to some scouts about what they see in Zeller.
“He has some polish. He’s NBA-ready, in terms of, he can get out there on the court, ready to play. He’s a really, really fundamentally solid player. He knows everything. I’m not sure how high his ceiling is, but he has a very good understanding of the game and does a lot of the little things.”
There’s that word again, solid. Here is the take of the second scout.
“I think he’s a finished product, but it’s a good finish. He’s one of those kids that got better every year at Carolina. He’s a really good north-south runner. He can shoot the ball. He’ll be decent around the basket, but I think he’ll be more of a limited scorer around the basket in our league. I think he’ll be more of a pick-and-pop, trail on the break, step into shots off the break (type of player). I think he can do that.”
It’s not sexy, Zeller is not a risky pick. It’s a solid one.
But a solid big late in the lottery is a good find.