2013 NBA Draft Scouting Report: Cody Zeller

2013 NBA Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2013 NBA Draft Scouting Reports - Home Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh Giannis Antetokoumpo, SF, Greece Isaiah Austin, PF, Baylor Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV Vander Blue, SG, Marquette Lorenzo Brown, PG, N.C. State Trey Burke, PG, Michigan Reggie Bullock, SG, North Carolina Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky Allen Crabbe, SG, California Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville Jamaal Franklin, SG, San Diego State Rudy Gobert, C, Russia Archie Goodwin, SG, Kentucky Tim Hardaway, SG, Michigan Solomon Hill, SF, Arizona Grant Jerrett, PF, Arizona Kenny Kadji, PF, Miami Sergey Karasev, SF, Russia Ryan Kelly, PF, Duke Shane Larkin, PG, Miami Alex Len, C, Maryland C.J. Leslie, PF, N.C. State Trevor Mbakwe, PF, Minnesota James Michael McAdoo, PF, North Carolina C.J. McCollum, SG, Lehigh Mitch McGary, C, Michigan Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas Tony Mitchell, PF, North Texas Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA Nerlens Noel, PF, Kentucky Lucas Nogueira, C, Brazil Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana Kelly Olynyk, C, Gonzaga Brandon Paul, SG, Illinois Mason Plumlee, PF, Duke Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown Dennis Schroder, PG, Germany Peyton Siva, PG, Louisville Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma State Russ Smith, PG, Louisville Tony Snell, SF, New Mexico James Southerland, SF, Syracuse Deshaun Thomas, SF, Ohio State Jeff Withey, C, Kansas Nate Wolters, PG, South Dakota State Patric Young, PF, Florida Cody Zeller, C, Indiana

Written by Paul Banks of the Washington Times, and David Kay of the The Sports Bank.
Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
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2013 NBA Draft Scouting Report: Cody Zeller


Position: Center

Size: 7-0, 240

School: Indiana, Sophomore


Strengths:

Athleticism

Footwork in the post

Effective with a variety of post moves

Great feel for scoring around the basket

Outstanding fundamentals on both ends of the floor

Passing ability for a big man

Handles the ball well for his size

Runs the floor as well as any center in college basketball

Defending pick and rolls

Lateral quickness

Extremely active on both ends of the floor

Terrific feel for the game

Basketball IQ

Weaknesses:

Strength

Physicality

Lacks the go-to scoring ability of a top prospect

Too easily pushed off the block when trying to establish position

Adding to his mid-range game

Summary: There just aren’t many seven-footers with Zeller’s combination of skill, athleticism, and feel for the game. He is not loaded with as much upside as most underclassmen draft prospects; needs to add some strength and doesn’t figure to be a true franchise big man, but will still be one of the top picks in the 2013 NBA Draft.

Player Comparison: Anderson Varejao. This is a tough one for me since I want to steer away from the Tyler Zeller comparison. Like Varejao, Zeller is extremely active on both ends of the floor, but not very physical and fairly limited to scoring about the basket. I think Zeller’s ceiling in the NBA is being an important role starter like Varejao, but not somebody who can be one of the top scoring options on a playoff team.

2013 NBA Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2013 NBA Draft Scouting Reports - Home Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh Giannis Antetokoumpo, SF, Greece Isaiah Austin, PF, Baylor Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV Vander Blue, SG, Marquette Lorenzo Brown, PG, N.C. State Trey Burke, PG, Michigan Reggie Bullock, SG, North Carolina Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky Allen Crabbe, SG, California Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville Jamaal Franklin, SG, San Diego State Rudy Gobert, C, Russia Archie Goodwin, SG, Kentucky Tim Hardaway, SG, Michigan Solomon Hill, SF, Arizona Grant Jerrett, PF, Arizona Kenny Kadji, PF, Miami Sergey Karasev, SF, Russia Ryan Kelly, PF, Duke Shane Larkin, PG, Miami Alex Len, C, Maryland C.J. Leslie, PF, N.C. State Trevor Mbakwe, PF, Minnesota James Michael McAdoo, PF, North Carolina C.J. McCollum, SG, Lehigh Mitch McGary, C, Michigan Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas Tony Mitchell, PF, North Texas Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA Nerlens Noel, PF, Kentucky Lucas Nogueira, C, Brazil Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana Kelly Olynyk, C, Gonzaga Brandon Paul, SG, Illinois Mason Plumlee, PF, Duke Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown Dennis Schroder, PG, Germany Peyton Siva, PG, Louisville Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma State Russ Smith, PG, Louisville Tony Snell, SF, New Mexico James Southerland, SF, Syracuse Deshaun Thomas, SF, Ohio State Jeff Withey, C, Kansas Nate Wolters, PG, South Dakota State Patric Young, PF, Florida Cody Zeller, C, Indiana

RELATED LINKS:


2013 NBA Mock Draft


2014 NBA Mock Draft


2013 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings


2013 NBA Draft Scouting Reports








Written by Paul Banks of the Washington Times, and David Kay of the The Sports Bank.
Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
All other e-mail, including advertising and link proposals, send to: [email protected]



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