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Hornets' Cody Zeller: Will compete for starting center job

Hornets coach Steve Clifford said Monday that Zeller will compete with Roy Hibbert in training camp for the starting job at center.

Analysis:

Zeller was able to wrest the starting gig away from Al Jefferson last season, finishing with career-best averages of 8.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.9 blocks and 0.8 steals in 24.3 minutes per game over 73 appearances (60 starts). While Jefferson has since departed for the Pacers, the Hornets brought Hibbert in on a one-year deal during the offseason to provide the team with a defensive anchor at the back end. Hibbert has been a starter for most of his eight seasons on the NBA, but appears on the downside of his career after struggling mightily with the Lakers last season, averaging only 5.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor. Hibbert should still be a factor in Clifford's rotation, but it's expected that Zeller will come away with the starting role and assume the bulk of the minutes at center.

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