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Tyler Zeller has Earned Playing Time

By Joshua Bateman

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Tyler Zeller began this season as a starter for the Boston Celtics. His start could not have gone worse and he was immediately put on the second unit. To make matters worse, Zeller reached a point where he lost any kind of playing time. Zeller was banished to the bench and was at the very bottom of the depth chart for bigs.

Zeller was no where near as effective on offense as he was last season and he defense continued to be a liability and Brad Stevens had plenty of options that kept him off the court. Now, the Celtics have been dealing with a series of injuries. Losing Marcus Smart alone tested their depth but the  when Amir Johnson and Jared Sullinger briefly went down they had no other options, and Zeller was given an opportunity to get back into the rotation.

Zeller still has a lot of work to do, particularly on the defensive end, but he is slowly proving that he can once again he trusted on the offensive end. Last season, Zeller was arguably the Celtics’ best offensive player (before Isaiah Thomas came along) and now he has an opportunity to be one of the main offensive options off the bench.

Zeller’s defense will prevent him from getting back into the starting lineup but his offense can be a valuable asset for Stevens off the bench. Zeller is yet to have a great breakout game but he is starting to leave an impact in the games he is playing. Zeller has been given at least 10 minutes of playing time in 3 of his last 4 games and in two of those he scored over 10 points. Zeller has sot 13-21 over that stretch and the worst of that came in their most recent game as he shot just 1-4.

This is just the very beginning for Zeller. Because of the Celtics’ depth Zeller dug himself into a hole that was beginning to become insurmountable. The injuries may have been the only reason Zeller ever got his recent opportunities but if he continues to look like his self from a season ago then Stevens will find a way to use him off the bench.

Oct 23, 2015; Manchester, NH, USA; Boston Celtics center Tyler Zeller (44) and forward David Lee (42) celebrate against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at Verizon Wireless Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Zeller still isn’t anywhere near as effective as he was last year in the mid range game as he is shooting well under 40%. Fortunately, he is making up for it near the rim. Zeller’s overall shooting percentage is actually slightly better than last year at 55.2%. Of course, it is in a much smaller sample size but for the first time this season, Zeller is showing signs of being a contributing rotation player.

Again, the numbers may be difficult to gauge because of how small of a sample size it is but when Zeller’s numbers are looked at per 36 minutes, all of a sudden he looks like a very intriguing option. Zeller’s rebounding numbers are down from a season ago with a mark of 8 per 36 minutes but his scoring is way up. Last year, Zeller averaged  17.3 points per 36 minutes and this season he is averaging 20.9 points per 36 minutes.

Zeller has worked his way to a point where he can continue to expect to be given opportunities. The opportunities may not come every game as he was given no minutes against the Atlanta Hawks. That being said, Zeller is getting more minutes than any other point this season and his potential is too high to once again banish him to the bench permanently.

There is no denying how effective Zeller can be in Stevens’ system. He does not stretch the floor like Olynyk but last season he had the best mid range shot on the team and it really was not even close. Zeller shot an incredible 60% between 10 and 16 feet from the rim last season and that is something no other big on the Celtics can offer. Zeller has a great ability to be an efficient shooter and he will always take what his teammates create for him.

Zeller has also always been a willing passer. Zeller cannot create his own shot but he will never force his shot. Stevens needs to establish how much he can trust Zeller’s jump shot because if he returns to his form from a season ago then the Celtics need to be giving him playing time.

Defense is the number one thing that will hold Zeller back. Olynyk, Sullinger and Johnson have all been great on the defensive end and until Zeller drastically improves on that end he cannot even be a consideration for the starting rotation.

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It is a welcome sight to see Zeller once again having an impact and if he can continue to take advantage of his limited opportunities then Stevens will surely give him more looks and allow him an opportunity to return to a regular rotation player.

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