Don’t Call Zion Williamson A Sure Thing Just Yet
Zion Williamson is being labeled as one of the best draft prospects ever. He’s the unquestioned number 1 pick. However, everyone needs to pump the brakes. What if Williamson is a bust?
Since LeBron, there hasn’t been a more hyped-up player coming into the NBA. Whichever team gets the 1 pick, they are talking Zion Williamson. He’s not a sure thing, though. Unlike LeBron, there are some questions about him.
A lot of the knock on Williamson is he’s not physicals enough for the NBA. It’s easy to knock around college players, go to the NBA and it’s a different story. Can you really see Zion knock around Andre Drummond, Rudy Gobert, Hassan Whiteside, Monztezl Harrell, Nikola Jokic, Karl Anthony-Towns or any other physical big? That’s not likely, especially when you’re only 6’7.
There’s going to be a big issue with Zion considering he’s not your typical 4 or 5. His height is just a tad small for the position. He can be as physical as he wants, the height difference is going to take its toll. He’s not going to out-rebound these dominant bigs. And if you think he’ll use a big frame to back them down, you’re wrong.
Indeed, Zion Williamson does have the ability to do other things on the court. He’s not a one trick pony. But, his biggest skill is the ability to control the paint. We’ve seen what Tacko Fall did to him during the NCAA Tournament. We know Zion won’t be hitting a jump shot on a consistent basis. If his biggest strength is taken away, don’t expect him to adapt easily.
If a General Manager takes Zion at 1, that’s on him. It’s going to bring in fans, jersey sales, popularity, momentum, and that’s great. It won’t last long. Once NBA fans see how one dimensional Zion Williamson is, the hype and hysteria will die down. He’s not the second coming of LeBron, nor is he the second coming of Larry Johnson.
Think about Zion at Duke. He’s had an outstanding college career. Does any of this mean he’ll be a good pro? Absolutely not. We’ve seen these sure things fail. While Zion Williamson is highly touted, there’s a lot of unknown. It’s hard to predict what his NBA career will be. Just don’t go in with high expectations.
Image Source: AP Photo/Sean Rayford
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
