C's big's next year and beyond

[PhoSita]

But what does he really bring? 

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&type=per_game&per_minute_base=36&per_poss_base=100&lg_id=NBA&is_playoffs=N&year_min=2015&year_max=2015&franch_id=&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=30&height_min=81&height_max=99&shoot_hand=&birth_country_is=Y&birth_country=&birth_state=&college_id=&draft_year=&is_active=&debut_yr_nba_start=&debut_yr_nba_end=&debut_yr_aba_start=&debut_yr_aba_end=&is_hof=&is_as=&as_comp=gt&as_val=&award=&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&qual=&c1stat=ts_pct&c1comp=gt&c1val=.55&c2stat=pts_per_mp&c2comp=gt&c2val=17&c3stat=pts_per_mp&c3comp=gt&c3val=8&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&c5stat=&c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.0&c6stat=&order_by=ws


He brings production at a position where talent and skill is scarce.  It's actually pretty hard to find players with legitimate size for the center position -- and Zeller has that, even if it's not "ideal" size -- who can finish, run the floor, and keep the ball moving the way he does.

[Csfan1984]

Keep KO, Mickey and AJ.
Let Zeller, Lee and Sully go.
Draft Lab (nets pick), Poeltl (Mavs or C's own pick) and Brimah (Philly 2nd).

PF=AJ ,Lab, Mickey
C= KO, Poeltl, Brimah

[Jon]

But what does he really bring? 

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&type=per_game&per_minute_base=36&per_poss_base=100&lg_id=NBA&is_playoffs=N&year_min=2015&year_max=2015&franch_id=&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=30&height_min=81&height_max=99&shoot_hand=&birth_country_is=Y&birth_country=&birth_state=&college_id=&draft_year=&is_active=&debut_yr_nba_start=&debut_yr_nba_end=&debut_yr_aba_start=&debut_yr_aba_end=&is_hof=&is_as=&as_comp=gt&as_val=&award=&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&qual=&c1stat=ts_pct&c1comp=gt&c1val=.55&c2stat=pts_per_mp&c2comp=gt&c2val=17&c3stat=pts_per_mp&c3comp=gt&c3val=8&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&c5stat=&c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.0&c6stat=&order_by=ws


He brings production at a position where talent and skill is scarce.  It's actually pretty hard to find players with legitimate size for the center position -- and Zeller has that, even if it's not "ideal" size -- who can finish, run the floor, and keep the ball moving the way he does.

That's an interesting stat; I mean that sincerely. But why do you think he's being beaten out by Sullinger, Johnson, Olynyk, and Lee? If he's really so valuable, shouldn't he at least be able to crack that rotation? It isn't like he's competing for PT with the '86 Celtics' bigs of Parish, McHale, and Walton.

More pragmatically, what's really the future for Zeller? Sullinger looks like he's going to play himself into an extension here, Olynyk is back next year for cheap, and excercising Johnson's option for next year seems far more financially savvy than inking Zeller to a long term deal. That's three bigs back next year who are already beating out Zeller, and that's not even getting into the possibility of Lee coming back on a team friendly short term deal or Mickey evolving into a rotation player. It's a distinct possibility if the C's signed him and Sullinger that Zeller would again find his butt on the bench next year.

It just seems unnecessary and potentially restrictive to our future flexibility to give Zeller a long term deal when we have plenty of options already on hand that are beating him out that are potentially better and/or won't require a long term commitment.