With the No. 17 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks selected Tyler Zeller from North Carolina. He will reportedly be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
2012 NBA Draft Results: Tyler Zeller Selected By Mavericks With No. 17 Pick, May Be Traded To Cavaliers
Zeller, one of four Tar Heels in the first round, is considered a solid prospect at center who won’t challenge for All-Star teams but could become a solid NBA starter. He’s quite a good offensive rebounder, but will need to shore up his body to perform on the defensive glass. He’s also not much of shotblocker, so his defensive impact will be determined by footwork, strength and smarts. On offense, he claims to have a shooting stroke and ball-handling skills, but he’ll have to prove it against better competition in the coming years. Until he does, his size could help keep smallball opponents honest on offense; even without filling out, he should be able to back up many NBA power forwards.
Chad Ford of ESPN reports that Cleveland will send multiple picks to the Mavericks for Zeller.
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For more on the Mavericks, visit Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas. For more on the Cavaliers, please visit Fear The Sword and SB Nation Cleveland.
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