Tyler Zeller

[ahonui06]

zeller is an underachiever. if he had some toughness he'd be one of the best big men in the league. IMO it's really that simple. but i don't know if you can teach toughness.

unless he improves in that department, on a contender he'd have to be paired with someone nasty on defense and the glass who can lead him and cover for him.

can't win titles with too much softness inside.

His biggest challenge is his frame. He is a slender and has a tough time banging inside against the larger frontcourt players like the Memphis duo, Dwight Howard, etc.

His physique just isn't built for certain matchups which really hurts him.

[Smartacus]

12 million might be a stretch but if we follow the Spurs Model, Tiago Splitter received a fat contract which he may never have been worth but was such a good fit for the roster that the signing was justified.

Zeller fits in well with what Stevens likes to do,  is durable and mobile for a big, and fwiw I thought he went hard at DeMarcus Cousins last year Amid the trade rumors that they'd be move for each other. He played like someone who didn't feel like he should be in trade rumors but  instead of pouting about it he performed at a high level. That kind of character isn't lost on the coaching staff.

[hagar55voa]

Sign him to a nice contract and let him play 30 minutes a game...Zeller is just going to get better and better as his confidence grows...Also, teach the guards to throw him the ball more instead of chucking up so many threes...

[Csfan1984]

Sign him to a nice contract and let him play 30 minutes a game...Zeller is just going to get better and better as his confidence grows...Also, teach the guards to throw him the ball more instead of chucking up so many threes...

+1
Extend Zeller ASAP try to keep it under 10 million per year though.

[ThePoeticWolf]

The way I'd look at this is, is Zeller more valuable then Jae Crowder.  Crowder just got around 7 million a year for five years.  Yes, to different positions but how I value it.  Honestly I'd feel comfortable for a backup center like Zeller at around 5-7 million a year. 

[Pucaccia]

I wouldn't judge Zeller or anyone else by last year. Even though we had a solid 2nd half, there were still too many moving parts.
This year on the other hand, I think we will have a better idea of how Zeller and others will work out. I give it the proverbial 25 games and then we can see what we have.

[Csfan1984]

The way I'd look at this is, is Zeller more valuable then Jae Crowder.  Crowder just got around 7 million a year for five years.  Yes, to different positions but how I value it.  Honestly I'd feel comfortable for a backup center like Zeller at around 5-7 million a year.

I actually like Zeller more than Crowder. And Zeller is only true center on the roster. So yes he is more valuable.

[Celtics4ever]

Zeller fits in well with what Stevens likes to do,  is durable and mobile for a big,

Then why does he rarely play him in the fourth when games are tight?   He went a lot of times with Jerebko at C during our win streaks in the fourth quarter.

I like what he brings to the table, I just do not think CBS likes him as much as you characterize.

[Jon]

The thing I feel like the Zeller supporters aren't really addressing is what is the end game for Zeller? 

Yes, I like Zeller too, but I don't really see him

1) ever developing into a legit starting center on a contender

2) netting us much in a trade.

So why are we extending him?

Am I wrong?  I just don't see how he's much more of a center than our other bigs (minus the fact his head is like an inch or two higher even if his arms don't match) and I'm not even sure he can crack the rotation this year.

Is it good to have the highest paid backup center in the NBA (even in the new CBA)?

[jambr380]

I think he is a valuable piece moving forward if he can be signed for the right amount (which is about half of the reported suggestion of $12M). People around here complained about Bass' contract for years and he was only on a 3 yr contract paying around $6M as a starter.

If signed for the right price, he can play as many or little minutes as needed and also wouldn't be an albatross in a trade.

It seems as though Ainge brought in Amir and Lee at just the wrong time for our young bigs coming off their rookie contracts and this may have been done on purpose in order to keep their pricetags down.

[Big333223]

The way I'd look at this is, is Zeller more valuable then Jae Crowder.  Crowder just got around 7 million a year for five years.  Yes, to different positions but how I value it.  Honestly I'd feel comfortable for a backup center like Zeller at around 5-7 million a year.

The problem with that way of thinking is that it doesn't take into consideration the market. Players are paid what they're worth, they're paid what the market values them. Bigs are always going to valued more in the market than wings because there are so few of them and even fewer with any skills at all. I think signing Zeller to a long term, $11 mil deal would likely be market value.

But we'll see how he improves this year. I think his destiny is as a backup center.

[Csfan1984]

The thing I feel like the Zeller supporters aren't really addressing is what is the end game for Zeller? 

Yes, I like Zeller too, but I don't really see him

1) ever developing into a legit starting center on a contender

2) netting us much in a trade.

So why are we extending him?

Am I wrong?  I just don't see how he's much more of a center than our other bigs (minus the fact his head is like an inch or two higher even if his arms don't match) and I'm not even sure he can crack the rotation this year.

Is it good to have the highest paid backup center in the NBA (even in the new CBA)?

1. The thing is he is still better than a few starting centers in league right now. Therefore he is by definition a starting quality center. Now can he be a 5th option for a championship sure no less than what Bogut was in the finals.

2. If you are trading for a Center most teams will want a young center back. Currently he is the only Center team could give back.

I believe you are very wrong. Zeller is the most efficient big left on the roster technically. He is just 25 as well. He is better at center than KO, Sully or Lee. And probably better than AJ at that pos. When te C's often go small the main reason is to push the pace and use depth to wear other teams down, it's not a knock on Zeller no more than what happen to Bogut in finals. And why can the C's pay Crowder  7 million as a backup but not Zeller 10 million?

[Smitty77]

The thing I feel like the Zeller supporters aren't really addressing is what is the end game for Zeller? 

Yes, I like Zeller too, but I don't really see him

1) ever developing into a legit starting center on a contender

2) netting us much in a trade.

So why are we extending him?

Am I wrong?  I just don't see how he's much more of a center than our other bigs (minus the fact his head is like an inch or two higher even if his arms don't match) and I'm not even sure he can crack the rotation this year.

Is it good to have the highest paid backup center in the NBA (even in the new CBA)?

1. The thing is he is still better than a few starting centers in league right now. Therefore he is by definition a starting quality center. Now can he be a 5th option for a championship sure no less than what Bogut was in the finals.

2. If you are trading for a Center most teams will want a young center back. Currently he is the only Center team could give back.

I believe you are very wrong. Zeller is the most efficient big left on the roster technically. He is just 25 as well. He is better at center than KO, Sully or Lee. And probably better than AJ at that pos. When te C's often go small the main reason is to push the pace and use depth to wear other teams down, it's not a knock on Zeller no more than what happen to Bogut in finals. And why can the C's pay Crowder  7 million as a backup but not Zeller 10 million?

Zeller is simply not better than Amir at the center position.  He has a positive 1.0 comparison versus opponents' centers. 

http://www.82games.com/1415/14BOS23.HTM

On the other hand, Amir was a +4.7.

http://www.82games.com/1415/14TOR9.HTM

Not even close.

Smitty77

[Csfan1984]

The thing I feel like the Zeller supporters aren't really addressing is what is the end game for Zeller? 

Yes, I like Zeller too, but I don't really see him

1) ever developing into a legit starting center on a contender

2) netting us much in a trade.

So why are we extending him?

Am I wrong?  I just don't see how he's much more of a center than our other bigs (minus the fact his head is like an inch or two higher even if his arms don't match) and I'm not even sure he can crack the rotation this year.

Is it good to have the highest paid backup center in the NBA (even in the new CBA)?

1. The thing is he is still better than a few starting centers in league right now. Therefore he is by definition a starting quality center. Now can he be a 5th option for a championship sure no less than what Bogut was in the finals.

2. If you are trading for a Center most teams will want a young center back. Currently he is the only Center team could give back.

I believe you are very wrong. Zeller is the most efficient big left on the roster technically. He is just 25 as well. He is better at center than KO, Sully or Lee. And probably better than AJ at that pos. When te C's often go small the main reason is to push the pace and use depth to wear other teams down, it's not a knock on Zeller no more than what happen to Bogut in finals. And why can the C's pay Crowder  7 million as a backup but not Zeller 10 million?

Zeller is simply not better than Amir at the center position.  He has a positive 1.0 comparison versus opponents' centers. 

http://www.82games.com/1415/14BOS23.HTM

On the other hand, Amir was a +4.7.

http://www.82games.com/1415/14TOR9.HTM

Not even close.

Smitty77

Are you kidding me those are pers 48 on Raptors that is not only team base but min amplifiers

[CelticsFanFromNYC]

$12million a year seems too high, but I'd love to keep Tyler Zeller on board.

I'd like to see if he bites on 8 or 9. 

Then again given the new CBA, $12million might be the new $8 or $9 million.

ya, i think 12 mil will be thrown around a lot with the new cba

Guess that will  makes crowders deal look like highway robbery, especially if he turns out to becone a key role player