F Cody Zeller did not play Friday night because of a nagging left ankle injury. "He hurt his ankle the other night and tried to go through shootaround (Friday) morning, and it was just sore," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "He can't jump, so Frank (Kaminsky) will get more of a chance (against the Bulls)."

F Cody Zeller went from goat to hero to near goat again before the Charlotte Hornets held on for a 95-93 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.Zeller missed two free throws with 28.5 seconds left and the score tied 93-93. However, he gave the Hornets the lead by sinking a layup with 0.4 seconds remaining.The basket turned out to be the game-winner after officials ruled that a 3-pointer by Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis came after the buzzer. Zeller allowed Porzingis to shoot uncontested."It's just a relief to win," Zeller said. "To miss those two free throws and then make the shot, and then I thought I gave it away at the end. ... It was a good win for us."Zeller finished with 12 points.

F Cody Zeller gave Charlotte another scoring outburst in a backup role, scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds. Zeller scored nine of his points in the first half.It's less pressure on the starters," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said of his bench. "A lot of times, you can almost have two groups. Guys don't have to play as well every night. We have more ways that we can score."

F Cody Zeller had his fourth-year option exercised by the Hornets. Zeller, the fourth overall pick in the 2013 draft, played in all 82 games of his rookie season and has appeared in 146 games total in his career, with 48 starts. He holds career averages of 6.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.2 minutes per game.

Zeller scored 16 points (6-6 FG, 3-4 FT), while recording 10 rebounds, one assist, and one steal in a 106-94 win over the Clippers on Sunday.

Zeller had his best season by far last year and he looks poised to build on that breakout year. The concern for Zeller is all the frontcourt depth the Hornets have. Not only is he behind Al Jefferson and Marvin Williams on the depth chart, he'll have to compete with Frank Kaminsky, Spencer Hawes and Tyler Hansbrough for playing time. That uncertainty alone makes him tough to own in almost every format.

Zeller (shoulder) has resumed shooting activities after undergoing right shoulder surgery to repair a tendon in April, the Charlotte Observer reports. "He did a great job everything he could have done with the rehab," coach Steve Clifford said. "He's been on the floor for the last seven weeks, doing a lot of shooting."

Zeller marginally improved during his sophomore season, and much of that can be attributed to playing an additional seven minutes per game. He struggled finishing around the rim, and his mid-range game is in dire need of an upgrade. The addition of three-point shooters Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes jeopardizes Zeller's role on the team, and his fantasy potential will likely be capped by his playing time.

Zeller could be in danger of seeing his role on the Hornets diminish with the selection of Frank Kaminsky in the 2015 NBA Draft.

The Hornets frontcourt has become pretty crowded over the last couple of weeks with the selection of Kaminsky and the acquiring of Spencer Hawes. Zeller managed to average 24 minutes after 62 appearances last season but either Kaminsky or Hawes could easily win the starting power forward job outright before the season begins. Given Kaminsky is unproven and Hawes is coming off a terrible season with the Clippers, but Zeller will have to prove that he deserves the lion's share of minutes alongside Al Jefferson at center, proving a tough task ahead.

Zeller (shoulder) continues to work back from shoulder surgery, and he'e expected to begin shooting early next month.

Zeller underwent surgery to repair a tendon in his right shoulder, an injury that caused him to sit out the final 15 games of the season. GM Rich Cho said Thursday that Zeller is increasing his range of motion in the shoulder, and the team expects him to return to basketball activities in a couple of weeks. Barring a setback, Zeller should be ready for full contact well before training camp.

Zeller, after playing all 82 games in his rookie season, played just 62 in his sophomore campaign after a shoulder sprain he suffered from in early March cut his season short, but he still managed to show drastic improvements on both sides of the floor in 2014-15. Zeller finished the season with averages of 7.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in 24 minutes per game.

There were a lot of questions surrounding Zeller as he entered his second NBA season, as most weren't sold on Zeller's ability to be a legitimate power forward in the league. He still struggled scoring the ball through most of the season, but he was consistently aggressive on the boards and a solid defender in the post who was agile enough to move across the floor. The highlight of Zeller's season was his career night where he managed a career-high 20 points on 8-of-8 shooting and seven rebounds in 33 minutes in a win against the Celtics. Additionally, just before he went down with the shoulder injury, Zeller put together a six-game stretch where he scored in double figures in every outing and averaged 12.2 points and 7.3 rebounds over that stretch. So, while Zeller was not consistently effective this past season, he did show quite a bit of promise. Zeller, however, is not set in stone as the team's power forward of the future, as rookie power forward Noah Vonleh also showed promise towards... [More]

Zeller (shoulder) underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a tendon in his right shoulder, NBA.com reports.

Zeller also had a bone spur and scar tissue removed from the shoulder during the operation. The forward is expected to face a three month recovery timeline, meaning he should be back to basketball activities shortly after the conclusion of the Las Vegas Summer League. Barring any setbacks, though, he should be at full strength for the start of training camp.

Coach Steve Clifford said Zeller (shoulder) could require offseason surgery, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports.

Zeller missed the final 15 games of the season with a sprained right shoulder, which never seemed to show much improvement. He'll continue to be evaluated by team doctors, and if surgery is necessary Zeller could miss a chunk of time this offseason. Either way, he figures to be ready for the start of next season.

Zeller (shoulder) will not play Wednesday against the Raptors.

Zeller's absent streak will extend to 15 with the news he won't play. He will finish the 2014-15 campaign averaging 7.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.8 blocks in 24 minutes this season.

Zeller (shoulder) will not play Monday against the Rockets.

Zeller will miss a 14th straight game, and at this point it's extremely unlikely that he'll return for the regular season finale Wednesday.

Zeller (shoulder) will not play in Sunday's game against the Pistons.

Zeller may ultimately be done for the season as he continues to deal with a prolonged shoulder injury. Even so, his next opportunity to return will be against the Rockets on Monday.

Zeller (shoulder) will not play Friday, KL Chouinard of Hawks.com reports.

Zeller will sit out his 12th straight game, and at this point it seems possible that he won't return to the court this season. Charlotte's chances of making the playoffs are extremely slim at this point, so there isn't much incentive to bring Zeller back unless he's 100 percent.

Zeller (shoulder) will not play against the Raptors on Wednesday.

This will be Zeller's 11th straight absence brought on by a sprained right shoulder. He was initially expected to return more than a week ago, but he's yet to get the shoulder back to where he feels comfortable taking contact. With only four games remaining after Wednesday, Zeller's time to return is running out.

Zeller (shoulder) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game at Miami, the Charlotte Observer reports.

As expected, Zeller will miss his 10th consecutive contest due to a sprained right shoulder, which is still inducing enough discomfort to make lifting his arm above his shoulder a difficult prospect. Because DeMarcus Cousins (foot) is also out, a masked Bismack Biyombo (nose) will likely get the nod at center Tuesday.

Zeller (shoulder) is expected to sit out Tuesday in Miami and Wednesday versus the Raptors, the Charlotte Observer reports.

Zeller's sprained right shoulder has forced nine DNPs in a row. Because he continues to find difficulty raising his arm above his shoulder, Friday's game in Atlanta is likely the best-case scenario for his return. In any case, with Al Jefferson (knee) also out of commission, Bismack Biyombo is the likely candidate to start at center in the interim, despite his broken nose sustained Saturday.

Zeller (shoulder) won't suit up Saturday versus the Sixers.

Zeller will log his 13th DNP in the past 14 games due to a sore right shoulder. With Al Jefferson (knee) also out of commission, Bismack Biyombo will earn his 15th start of the season at center.

Zeller (shoulder) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Pacers.

Zeller is still contending with soreness in his right shoulder and will be forced to miss out a matchup against his hometown team. Friday's game marks the seventh in a row he's missed, but his recent participation in shootaround with the Hornets suggests a return could be in the offing. His next chance to play will come Saturday against the 76ers.