The Charlotte Hornets need to replace Cody Zeller

The Charlotte Hornets have not received much production as of late from Cody Zeller; is it time for a new full-time starter?

Cody Zeller has been with the Charlotte Hornets since the 2013-14 season, and since then many memories have been made. This upcoming season, Zeller will be playing in his seventh NBA season.

The Hornets originally drafted Zeller in the 2013 NBA Draft. In this draft, he was taken fourth overall by Charlotte. Since then, he has averaged 8.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for the Hornets.

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While in Charlotte, Zeller has played in a total of 361 games, while only starting in 213 of them. As a starter for the past six seasons, Zeller has averaged 9.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Zeller has primarily been used as a pick-and-roll screener for the Hornets, and he has no offensive repertoire that would make him a dominant scorer or rebounder. Just like Bismack Biyombo, the Hornets have consistently only used him in the pick-and-roll game.

Zeller has not been able to become a deadly threat on the offensive side of the court, as he as yet to develop some form of a mid-range game.

Zeller averaged a percentage of 21% on shots that were 10-16 feet away from the basket last season; this was a career low.

He lacks a great defensive game as well, as he has only averaged .8 blocks per game for the Hornets. A big reason behind his lack of shot blocking is his 6’10¾ wingspan.

His wingspan has also hindered him from being an actual rebounding threat against other teams. The most rebounds that he has ever had in a game is fourteen. This is below average compared to the personal game highs of other NBA starting centers.

As of late, Zeller has also missed a lot of playing time due to nagging injuries. This has caused him to miss eighty-two games over the past two seasons. Does it seem fair that the Hornets pay him as much as they do for him to sit out?

For the next two seasons, Zeller is set to make almost $30 million; he will average about $14.9 million between the next two seasons. This is another one of those situations where the Hornets are paying too much to a player who is not that productive.

Contracts like these are what have put the Hornets in salary trouble. Zeller can’t take all of the blame though, because Biyombo is set to make $17 million in this upcoming season.

It may be time for the Hornets to find Zeller a new team that will help him prosper. I’ve always loved Zeller as a player and the effort he gives, but I feel that it’s time the Hornets move in a different direction at the center position.

The Hornets have many salary issues to worry about this offseason, and Zeller’s contract is one of them. Coach Borrego has stated that he wants a better defender at the Center position, so let’s see if Mitch Kupchak can work out a deal.