Zion Williamson, Duke
Finally, the most electrifying, popular college athlete of the decade is a clear must-watch throughout this March Madness tournament. Zion Williamson has obliterated Twitter with his highlight dunks, chase down blocks, and notorious shoe explosions.
The dude is unlike any prospect we have ever seen before. Zion looks to be around the same height as Charles Barkley, but he is much stronger than the Hall of Famer ever was. He electrifies crowds with his out-of-this-world athleticism the way Blake Griffin did, but Zion is a much quicker jumper who doesn’t need to gather himself to hit his head on the rim. He possesses the same defensive intensity of a Charles Oakley, yet he instinctively jumps passing lanes like Kawhi Leonard.
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There has never been another prodigy who you can accurately compare to Zion. The Duke King is truly one of a kind.
That being said, put effort into admiring his overall game while watching him play. Pay attention to Zion’s ability to either bully his defender in the post or kick the ball out to an open shooter (2.9 assists per 40). Watch him attempt four putbacks in a row, outrebounding three opponents who are desperately fighting for their lives in the paint. H
is offensive rebounding percentage is 13, which is not far off Andre Drummond‘s season at UConn when he averaged 14.2 percent. Currently, the NBA’s leader in field goal percentage is Rudy Gobert, who shoots 65.7 percent on two-pointers. Zion shoots 76 percent on his two-point attempts, despite being approximately six inches shorter than the French star. It probably doesn’t need to be said, but Zion Williamson is utterly ridiculous.
The only area of concern for Zion is his shooting ability, or lack thereof. This season he has averaged 31.5 percent from 3 on 1.5 attempts per game, along with a mediocre 65.4 percent from the free throw line. However, judging from his viral high school mixtapes, it isn’t unreasonable to wonder if the phenom ever attempted a jumper throughout his adolescence. I don’t know about you, but if I could ruthlessly dunk over anyone within my vicinity, I would do precisely that. He has solid form and a compact motion, so a knowledgable shooting coach can definitely assist in bringing up his percentages. NBA spacing may help him as well.
Besides shooting, there aren’t many weaknesses in Zion Williamson’s game to intensely hone in on while evaluating him as a prospect. Just enjoy everything he has to offer viewers. Whether it be his unrivaled intensity, Herculean physique, Space Jam dunks, or any other nuance within his skillset. He is the epitome of why we all love basketball in the first place.
Enjoy Zion. Enjoy March Madness. Let’s hope it ends our collective NBA Sadness.