Tyler Zeller hopes Celtics can exceed expectations

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 Tyler Zeller hopes Celtics can exceed expectations Empty Tyler Zeller hopes Celtics can exceed expectations

Post by bobheckler Thu Sep 22, 2016 11:42 am

http://www.telegram.com/sports/20160921/tyler-zeller-hopes-celtics-can-exceed-expectations?platform=hootsuite



Tyler Zeller hopes Celtics can exceed expectations



PLYMOUTH — Coming off a 48-win regular season, and having signed the No. 2 free agent on the market in Al Horford this summer, the Celtics are no longer the little engine that could in the Eastern Conference.

They are the team many consider as likely as any to be the primary challenger to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a spot in the NBA Finals.

It’s quite the change in perspective for Tyler Zeller, who arrived in Boston two years ago amid questions about tanking for a draft pick, and resigned midway through this past summer as a restricted free agent with a team bearing the burden of lofty expectations as it prepares for the start of training camp next week.

“We have a great chance to do something special,” he said on Wednesday at the team’s Shamrock Foundation golf tournament at Old Sandwich Golf Club. “Last year, throughout the year, we were trying to prove people wrong. This year everyone kind of expects us to do it. Hopefully we can still exceed expectations.”

Central to those expectations will be what Horford can add to a frontcourt that struggled at times in the first-round playoff exit against the Atlanta Hawks. While the Celtics were able to match any team in the conference with a healthy backcourt-small forward combination for most of last year, they were often bogged down up front with Jared Sullinger owning a key rotation spot, and forced to go small to compensate.

Adding Horford to the mix of Amir Johnson, Jonas Jerebko, Kelly Olynyk and Zeller allows for a frontcourt where each player can run the floor, get out on the pick-and-roll defense and stretch the floor with shooting.

“He gives you a little more flexibility,” said coach Brad Stevens. “He’s a guy who can guard the four and the five, who can fly around and full rotate some, switch some. He can do some of the things that you have to do inevitably (on defense).”

Four years of going up against Horford when he was in Atlanta was plenty to sell Zeller on his potential impact in Boston.

“The thing that makes him so tough is that he can do everything,” Zeller said. “He can post up, he can shoot the 3, he makes plays off the dribble, he’s a very smart player. I think he’ll be great to try to run our offense through at times, just trying to make to make the right play.

“He’s not always trying to score. Sometimes he’s trying to draw two (defenders) and throw it to somebody for a 3. He’s doing a great job setting screens, plays, everything he does is spectacular.”

While Horford and Kevin Durant owned the opening weekend of free agency, Zeller was largely a spectator. After starting just three games, and averaging 11 minutes a night in 60 regular season games overall, he didn’t exactly expect NBA teams to be knocking down his door.

But, he admits, he was hoping the doorbell would ring eventually.

“First week I thought would go pretty quick,” he said. “Thought the second week we’d start to see something happen. After two weeks, I’m like: ‘Nothing is happening. What is going on?’ Eventually it did get rolling.”

It wound up rolling back to Boston when the team rescinded the qualifying offer to Sullinger and re-signed Zeller to a one-year deal, plus a second-year team option, for $8 million per year.

While Zeller allowed the deal comes with no promises for playing time, he is hoping to earn himself a bigger share of the rotation pie this season after starting 59 games for the Celtics two years ago.

“It was a frustrating year for me,” he said. “At the same time, it was a time where I could work on my game. There were a lot of times when I didn’t know if I was going to play or not. But I was able to work out a lot, put a lot of time in the gym, and continue to grow as a player.”




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 Tyler Zeller hopes Celtics can exceed expectations Empty Re: Tyler Zeller hopes Celtics can exceed expectations

Post by wideclyde Fri Sep 23, 2016 12:54 pm

Zeller earning more playing time will certainly help the Cs.  Hope that he has been on a player development plan all summer long.

He should have had lots of Sullinger's minutes last year but did not get them.  Improving his play (rebounding especially) will yield a deeper rotation which always helps a team that wants to run more and more and more.

I was kind of surprised that he got the raise that he did, but now he needs to justify a 100% pay raise (+/-), and that should not include 25+ DNPs-Coach's decision this year.


Last edited by wideclyde on Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:54 am; edited 1 time in total

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 Tyler Zeller hopes Celtics can exceed expectations Empty Re: Tyler Zeller hopes Celtics can exceed expectations

Post by NYCelt Sat Sep 24, 2016 11:13 pm

He's not the only one!
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 Tyler Zeller hopes Celtics can exceed expectations Empty Re: Tyler Zeller hopes Celtics can exceed expectations

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