Cody Zeller will be the first to admit that the year he was preparing for didn’t go as expected thanks to a knee injury suffered in early December that effectively ended his 2017-18 season long before he envisioned.
After missing 20 games last year with various ailments, Zeller was looking to return stronger than ever in his fifth overall NBA season. The summer acquisition of Dwight Howard bumped Zeller into a backup role where he averaged 7.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in his first 19 appearances of the year.
Late in the team’s 101-87 home loss to the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 6, Zeller’s legs got tangled following a layup attempt, causing him to land awkwardly on the floor. Instantly, it was clear something wasn’t right as evidenced by the grimace on his face and corresponding limp.
An MRI the next day revealed that Zeller had torn the medial meniscus in his left knee. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on Dec. 12 and did not return to game action until Feb. 2.
Zeller managed to play 14 more games, but lingering soreness in his troublesome knee finally confined him to the sidelines for the remainder of the season beginning on March 10.
At his exit interview on April 11, Zeller stated that his most recent MRI revealed only mild inflammation and that his knee would be fine in a month or so. With a healthy offseason of conditioning and lifting, the Hornets center should be back to normal and ready for training camp in September.
Cody Zeller Through the Season
Check out scenes of Cody Zeller during the 2017-2018 Season.
By the Numbers
- Zeller finished with averages of 7.1 points on 54.5 percent shooting, 5.4 rebounds (2.0 offensive) and 0.9 assists in 19.0 minutes over 33 total appearances, all of which were off the bench.
- He ranked tied for ninth in the NBA with 3.9 screen assists per game. Of all the other players ranked in the top 10 in this category, Zeller was the only one to average fewer than 25.0 minutes per game.
- Zeller is currently ninth on both the franchise’s all-time blocks (232) and offensive rebounding (555) leaderboards.
What’s Next?
Zeller will enter the second season of a four-year extension he signed in November 2016. As of now, he is scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency at the conclusion of the 2020-21 NBA campaign.
Exit Interview Quote
“It was disappointing for me. Kind of out of my control. I worked so hard all of last summer to get healthy, to be playing at the top of my game and one play, one injury kind of throws it all for a loop. Disappointing from that aspect. Most games that I’ve missed. It’s tough watching on the sidelines because I’ve gotten to know these guys so well. It’s fun competing with them every night. To just sit there and watch the season unfold is frustrating.” – Cody Zeller