Tyler Zeller’s shooting and passing abilities remind one Western Conference scouting director of Spencer Hawes.

"This is a safe pick," the scouting director said. "You're not going to hit a home run, but you know you're at least going to get a single out of this deal. He'll make some elbow jumpers and he's got some low post moves. You've got an accomplished player. At the least, he should be no worse -- ever -- than Spencer Hawes, and probably better."

Zeller, a 7-foot, 250-pound center out of North Carolina, may not have the requisite strength to contribute right away.

"He seems to be a hard working kid, so you don't worry about that," an Eastern Conference VP said. "That'll happen naturally. He's 22. By the time he's 25 he'll be all right."