Milwaukee Bucks: Grades and reactions for the Tyler Zeller trade
By Adam McGee
What the Bucks traded for
Tyler Zeller may not be a household name for more casual NBA fans, but he’s a journeyman center who has shown an ability to contribute and stick in the league. At the age of 28, he could well just be entering his prime too.
Although Milwaukee’s existing big men both possess the requisite height to play at center in 2018 they lack some of the bulk and strength required to cope with more old school matchups. Playing at a listed weight of more than 20 pounds heavier than either of those guys means Zeller will remedy some troublesome deficiencies for the Bucks.
Selected as the 17th pick of the 2012 NBA Draft, Zeller has since gone on to play exactly 400 games split between the regular season and playoffs. The 28-year-old has been a starter in 168 of those games, and has generally found himself playing as at least a meaningful rotation piece with an average of 17.7 minutes per game.
The span of Zeller’s career has seen him play on low talent, rebuilding teams in both Brooklyn and Cleveland, but he also spent three years with Brad Stevens’ Boston Celtics, playing 78 postseason minutes as recently as last season.
On the court, Zeller can offer some nice touch around the basket, although don’t expect any overly elaborate finishes. The former UNC Tar Heel has been a solid mid-range jump shooter for his entire career to date, and on a small sample this year, he has successfully shown signs of developing a three-point shot.
Having played as a starter under Kenny Atkinson for most of the year until a recent change to lean in the direction of developing the team’s young big men, Zeller has made 38.5 percent of his 28 three-point attempts this season. Per NBA.com/stats, that translates to 40.6 percent on wide open three-point attempts. He should able to get looks of that quality more frequently in Milwaukee, and the Bucks should encourage him to keep letting fly.
On the opposite end of the floor, Zeller is not the kind of dominant rim protector that would be associated with players of his size. What he can offer is above average mobility, good positional awareness and the strength required to fight off attacking players in the post. Zeller’s game defensively is less about him being a game-winner, but much like his offense, he can provide a steady contribution that won’t see him let his team down when his number is called.