Since starting Zeller, Celtics own 8th best defensive rating in NBA

[BleedGreen1989]

It can be hard these days digging for positives but Tyler Zeller certainly has to be considered a bright spot in this early season.

Getting him for basically nothing now seems like another solid, under the radar move for Ainge. Took Zeller awhile to get comfortable, but he's looking more and more like the center we envisioned would be starting for this team when Boston acquired him.

"He's more of an enforcer," Boston's Rajon Rondo said of Zeller. "He's one of our guys that's gonna hit. He's going to roll hard to the basket. He's very physical. He's going to be around the paint more than our other bigs. That's what Tyler brings to this team."

“It’s not so much the way he sets screens, but the way he rolls. He gets into the right seams where I can find him and make it easy for him. He always has his hands ready and he’s a great finisher," Rondo explained. "It’s a combination (why it works). I’m always looking to pass. I can get the ball in the smallest spots. And it seems like he’s always ready.”

Averaging 12.1 points, 8.0 boards, 62.9 percent field goals and 90.5 percent free throws since starting, at least GodZeller can provide some optimism.

[rondohondo]

He's a backup center on a good team. I like what he's doing, don't get me wrong , but we need a real defensive rim protector . I wonder if Zellar is capable of playing PF , two 7 footers shutting down the lane would be good too.

[BitterJim]

How have the offenses we've been playing ranked, though?  Zeller's definitely helping, but we've played some pretty bad teams since he's been starting, too

[Neurotic Guy]

He's a backup center on a good team. I like what he's doing, don't get me wrong , but we need a real defensive rim protector . I wonder if Zellar is capable of playing PF , two 7 footers shutting down the lane would be good too.

Yeah -- I hope people see that as a good thing.  A good back-up 5 is an important role and I think Zeller is valuable to the C's future in that role, or valuable to another team in trade.  He's a significant bright spot. 

[Chris22]

We just aren't very good.

[LarBrd33]

He's a backup center on a good team. I like what he's doing, don't get me wrong , but we need a real defensive rim protector . I wonder if Zellar is capable of playing PF , two 7 footers shutting down the lane would be good too.

yup... and it's interesting how much better our defense looks when we have something vaguely resembling a starting center in there. 

[Neurotic Guy]

We just aren't very good.

Oh.

[Celts Fan 508]

He's a backup center on a good team. I like what he's doing, don't get me wrong , but we need a real defensive rim protector . I wonder if Zellar is capable of playing PF , two 7 footers shutting down the lane would be good too.

Exactly, but a solid backup big is difficult to find and the Celts got him for nothing.  He is a starter on the current Celtics though.  Lets hope we get a starter in the draft or in free agency. 

[BleedGreen1989]

We just aren't very good.

Oh.

Spectacular insight.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I love Rondo, but if he could get the ball "in the smallest spots," you'd imagine he could get it through the net more

[BleedGreen1989]

I love Rondo, but if he could get the ball "in the smallest spots," you'd imagine he could get it through the net more

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

Big Z! We still stink and i don't know why. Defense was a huge problem,  you say it's  8th now... where is the problem, any and every team could win with a top 10 D, did our offense regress? Anyone have insight? Something is wrong.  If we had top 10 D all season, we would probably be a top East team, we were in games with some very good teams with a bottom of the barrel defense!

[ballin]

Big Z! We still stink and i don't know why. Defense was a huge problem,  you say it's  8th now... where is the problem, any and every team could win with a top 10 D, did our offense regress? Anyone have insight? Something is wrong.  If we had top 10 D all season, we would probably be a top East team, we were in games with some very good teams with a bottom of the barrel defense!

I think the offense has regressed, actually. I remember at the beginning of the season our Ortg was surprisingly high (like, top 10). I checked on basketball-reference recently and it's dropped to around 20th, which means our offense has been AWFUL lately. I wonder if Zeller helps the defense at the expense of hurting the offense? (wouldn't seem that way since he scores efficiently himself, but maybe he hurts the flow/spacing)

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

Big Z! We still stink and i don't know why. Defense was a huge problem,  you say it's  8th now... where is the problem, any and every team could win with a top 10 D, did our offense regress? Anyone have insight? Something is wrong.  If we had top 10 D all season, we would probably be a top East team, we were in games with some very good teams with a bottom of the barrel defense!

I think the offense has regressed, actually. I remember at the beginning of the season our Ortg was surprisingly high (like, top 10). I checked on basketball-reference recently and it's dropped to around 20th, which means our offense has been AWFUL lately. I wonder if Zeller helps the defense at the expense of hurting the offense? (wouldn't seem that way since he scores efficiently himself, but maybe he hurts the flow/spacing)

I don't want to put it on one guy but could it be to do a little with Sully? RR also not even getting his usual 8pts?

I hope we fix w/e it is.

[KeepRondo]

He's a backup center on a good team. I like what he's doing, don't get me wrong , but we need a real defensive rim protector . I wonder if Zellar is capable of playing PF , two 7 footers shutting down the lane would be good too.

yup... and it's interesting how much better our defense looks when we have something vaguely resembling a starting center in there.

I agree. He might not block a lot of shots but he has legit length. He also has decent quickness for a guy his height.