Hoosiers in the Pros: 5 Things to Know About Cody Zeller

Cody Zeller has spent his entire NBA career with the Charlotte Hornets, and it's hard to believe he's entering his eighth season in the pros. He's the starting center for the Hornets this year.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – When the NBA season restarted after the COVID-19 break, the teams that's weren't able to qualify for the playoffs weren't invited to the Orlando bubble. That included the Charlotte Hornets, so it was more than nine months between games when Cody Zeller and his Hornets teammates took the floor Wednesday night.

Zeller, the former Indiana Mr. Basketball who played two seasons at Indiana under Tom Crean from 2011 to 2013, is entering his eighth NBA season, and he's the starting center for Charlotte entering the season.

• UPDATE: Cody Zeller broke his hand in the Hornets' opener on Wednesday night and will be out at least four weeks. CLICK HERE

Here are five things to know about former Hoosier great Cody Zeller: 

1. Clean off the cobwebs

Cody Zeller and the Charlotte Hornets hadn't played a meaningful NBA basketball game since March, so it's going to be interesting to see how quickly the Hornets get comfortable being back out on the court.

The long time off is something that Zeller and the Hornets will have to adjust to as they were part of the "Delete 8" that did not get invited to the NBA's Bubble in Disney World.

2. Veteran

It still feels like just a few years ago that Zeller was on Tom Crean's No. 1-ranked Indiana team and was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But time has flown by, and Zeller is in his eighth season now. 

He is one of the older players on a young roster that desperately needs to regain winning form since they were just 23-42 a season ago. He has the third-most NBA experience on the team outside of newcomer Gordon Hayward and Bismack Biyombo. Zeller is in the final year of a four-year $56 million contract that he signed in 2017. 

3. Big Baller?

The Hornets selected LaMelo Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

The flashy 19-year-old point guard is due to make a big impact and get significant minutes in his rookie season. While Zeller has played with All-Star Kemba Walker and Terry Rozier, he has yet to play with someone of Ball's passing ability.

Ball brings an exciting flair to his game that does not revolve around scoring, but instead rebounding and passing. Look for Zeller to get a lot more open looks at the basket, and have a rejuvenated role in the pick-and-roll offense.

4. Get back to winning

The Hornets haven't been a good team for most of the decade, and Zeller has only made the playoffs twice during his seven seasons.

The Hornets should be in this mix for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference if everything goes right. Adding Hayward will provide scoring punch.

5. Build off career highs

Zeller averaged a career-high 11.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season, and both marks are the highest of his NBA career.

While Zeller has had a relatively quiet career in Charlotte, those are respectable numbers, putting up a near double-double every single night is impressive. It will be interesting to see if he can build on those with a better surrounding cast.

Previous 'Hoosiers in the Pros' stories

• ERIC GORDON'S NEW ROLE: New Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas wants to get the most out of Eric Gordon's scoring potential, so he's going to use him off the bench in a sixth-man role to start the season. CLICK HERE
• NEW PATH FOR YOGI FERRELL: After struggling to find a new home during this offseason, Yogi Ferrell was signed by the Utah Jazz but will start the season in the G-League. CLICK HERE
• OG ANUNOBY: OG Anunoby has been an important piece in the Toronto Raptors' postseason runs, and he was rewarded with a new four-year, $72 million contract this week.  CLICK HERE