Zion Williamson So Far????

[bigworld2017]

Anyone else had a chance to see some of the video footage of his vertical leaping ability and the highlights of Duke's game with Ryerson (Canada)? Whoa. I knew the kid was highly rated but damn, I wasn't prepared for how good he looks. His vertical is insane. He's put together like a linebacker. He's more stacked than LeBron. He even hit a few 3s in the game against Ryerson. And some of his rebound put-backs were NBA highlight material. The kid is going to destroy the ACC. I though that because of his "tweener" height he was going to be an iffy prospect. But with his strength, reach and jumping ability he plays way bigger than 6' 6". If he keeps working on his outside game he is going to be one hell of an NBA prospect. He's bound to be a top 3 choice in my opinion.

[gardenofsound]

Anyone else had a chance to see some of the video footage of his vertical leaping ability and the highlights of Duke's game with Ryerson (Canada)? Whoa. I knew the kid was highly rated but damn, I wasn't prepared for how good he looks. His vertical is insane. He's put together like a linebacker. He's more stacked than LeBron. He even hit a few 3s in the game against Ryerson. And some of his rebound put-backs were NBA highlight material. The kid is going to destroy the ACC. I though that because of his "tweener" height he was going to be an iffy prospect. But with his strength, reach and jumping ability he plays way bigger than 6' 6". If he keeps working on his outside game he is going to be one hell of an NBA prospect. He's bound to be a top 3 choice in my opinion.

From what little I've seen, he looks like a young Charles Barkley type of player.

[biggestbullsfan]

No chance you pass on him outside of maybe for RJ. Idk if we will be that bad tho. I honestly think we challenge for a playoff spot in the east.

[sco]

I've seen his freakish vertical (esp. for a wide guy), does he have other elite skill (i.e. ball handling or shooting)?

[johnnyvann840]

Him and RJ Barrett are going to be on the same team!! That is insane. I still like RJ as the #1 pick next year, coming into the college season. We'll see what happens but that is going to be one hell of a Duke team. A lot can happen in the next year though.

[bigworld2017]

I've seen his freakish vertical (esp. for a wide guy), does he have other elite skill (i.e. ball handling or shooting)?

Well in the game highlights against Ryerson he takes rebounds and dribbles the length of the court. His handles seem adequate. He drives to the hoop and nobody wants to get in front of that freight train. Seems like an elite finisher with that strength, reach and vertical. His rebounding looks elite to me, and especially his ability to finish with authority once he's in the air on rebounds. Not only does he get height but it looks like he stays high just a split second longer than other dudes. He goes up higher, grabs the board and slams it down with either hand. He's probably 6' 5.5" barefoot. But he has long arms. He shoots lefty from outside. He doesn't get great extension when he shoots. He needs work from "3". Still, he made 3 from behind the college arc that I saw, seems like he has potential to extend his range. And the Barkley comparisons have already started. Also comparisons to Draymond Green. The kid can ball out. Man among boys out there. If Duke doesn't win it all with the team he recruited for this year then Coach K needs to retire after this season. Barring injury he might have 3 of the top 5 picks in the next Draft.

[gardenofsound]

Him and RJ Barrett are going to be on the same team!! That is insane. I still like RJ as the #1 pick next year, coming into the college season. We'll see what happens but that is going to be one hell of a Duke team. A lot can happen in the next year though.

Don't forget about Reddish.

[thedarkstark]

I've been following Williamson since he was a sophomore in HS, will be really interested to see how he does this year. Athleticsm is definitely off the charts, not sure how the rest of his game will translate.

[IcemanGervin]

Generational athlete. I don’t know what “position” he is or if his jump shot will be reliable, but I also know I don’t care. Zion is going to have a massive impact on both ends of the floor and is a player worth tanking hard for. Let Jabari and Zach get their buckets and let’s lose a lot of games.

Also, I am already tired of seeing the Julius Randle comp’s. That’s so lazy. There will be a smorgasbord of bad takes regarding Zion this year.

[WindyCityBorn]

He still looks like a tweener in the NBA and not in a good way. Just way too short for PF for my liking. I don't care wide or athletic he is. He certainly does not fit with our roster except of the bench.

[WindyCityBorn]

Generational athlete. I don’t know what “position” he is or if his jump shot will be reliable, but I also know I don’t care. Zion is going to have a massive impact on both ends of the floor and is a player worth tanking hard for. Let Jabari and Zach get their buckets and let’s lose a lot of games.

Also, I am already tired of seeing the Julius Randle comp’s. That’s so lazy. There will be a smorgasbord of bad takes regarding Zion this year.

So he is going to to start over Lauri or Wendell? He has zero chance of playing SF in the NBA.

[dumbell78]

Superb athlete, I haven't watched enough of him to make an accurate comment. Does look like a tweener and you would hope he could be a SF. I dont know if he can in the modern NBA. Yeah he is built like a brick house but I'm a little bit afraid of him going the Shawn Kemp route with the weight.

[NDave79]

Here are the highlights for anyone interested.

Watch on YouTube

Also, not to derail the thread, but here are the highlights of his teammate Barrett, which were impressive as well imo (his athleticism looks a little better than I recall, but I suppose that is normal as they mature into their later teen years).

Watch on YouTube

I think with the way the league has been going, Zion is comfortably a 4. Sure, 6'7" is really short, but factor in that apparently at 19 he is somewhere between 270 and 285, and then combined with his explosiveness; I don't see him getting abused my many opposing 4's in the post or fighting for rebounds (obviously, if he doesn't control his weight and gets fat he won't be effective playing any position most likely). He has a long way to go before being comparable to the guys I'm about to mention, but before the league went smaller, Barkley (apparently under 6'5" barefoot) and Rodman (I'm just going on memory, but I recall he was 6'6" barefoot) did pretty good at the 4. They began their careers as small forwards, but succeeded just as well at the 4 imo. I guess, to me, Zion seems like one of those rare big types that will be able to regularly dominate opponents despite being a good amount shorter than the average.

[gardenofsound]

He could also be like the board favorite, Dejuan Blair.

[d boy gentleman]

He could also be like the board favorite, Dejuan Blair.

What, have no ACL's?

[kulaz3000]

He still looks like a tweener in the NBA and not in a good way. Just way too short for PF for my liking. I don't care wide or athletic he is. He certainly does not fit with our roster except of the bench.

Some of the top tier power forwards were around his height.

Charles Barkley, Dennis Rodman, Larry Johnson, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, Draymond Green, Elton Brand, Paul Milsap, Shawn Marion etc.

There have been a lot more effective power forwards in the 6'6 - 6'8 range than you imagine. Sure, the list of players I provided range from superstars, to all-stars and solid starters, but the point stands, if you have talent and skill, irregardless of athletic ability, you can have a place in this league as a shorter than standard power forward.

That said, I really haven't watched him enough in-game to know what type of skills he has which will translate to the NBA, but though he has the size of a power forward, he does seem to move like a small forward which could mean that he could mean that he'd have a mismatch at power forward practically every game.

[WindyCityBorn]

He still looks like a tweener in the NBA and not in a good way. Just way too short for PF for my liking. I don't care wide or athletic he is. He certainly does not fit with our roster except of the bench.

Some of the top tier power forwards were around his height.

Charles Barkley, Dennis Rodman, Larry Johnson, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, Draymond Green, Elton Brand, Paul Milsap, Shawn Marion etc.

There have been a lot more effective power forwards in the 6'6 - 6'8 range than you imagine. Sure, the list of players I provided range from superstars, to all-stars and solid starters, but the point stands, if you have talent and skill, irregardless of athletic ability, you can have a place in this league as a shorter than standard power forward.

That said, I really haven't watched him enough in-game to know what type of skills he has which will translate to the NBA, but though he has the size of a power forward, he does seem to move like a small forward which could mean that he could mean that he'd have a mismatch at power forward practically every game.

Different era and Draymond is not worth a top 5 pick. Most of those guys aren't.

[kulaz3000]

Though I need to actually watch him in game more, but he looks really impressive. The way he attacks the boards, uses his body, the quickness, the ball handling, how quick he is off his feet, he reminds me so much of Charles Barkley when he was younger - similar height, the quickness, the way he could snatch a defensive rebound and take it all the way to the end of the basket, how quick he was off his feet.

He may have trouble on the defensive end like Charles did for a lot of his career, but he seems to have the tools to be a special player in the league - his raw talents is undeniable. It's just now a matter of how hard of a worker and committed to improving he is.

I think regardless of whether he is big boned or not, he will need to watch his weight, because of his size and how athletically he plays, he could be prone to injuries. Way to early to say, but I think he will be just fine as a power forward in this league.

Watch on YouTube

[kulaz3000]

Also, not to derail the thread, but here are the highlights of his teammate Barrett, which were impressive as well imo (his athleticism looks a little better than I recall, but I suppose that is normal as they mature into their later teen years).

Watch on YouTube

I like Barrett a great deal, and he already looks like a pro out there. But he seems like just a solid athlete, not a great or elite athlete though. I'm not sure if that will cap his potential or not, but he doesn't seem all that explosive, doesn't seem to jump all that high, and some of the footage of his going full court at average speed was a little underwhelming to be honest.

One thing you can't question though is his overall skill though, and for such a young player he is really savvy, and the biggest thing I like is that he looks to play with an attitude and confidence. He oozes confidence that he knows he is the best player on the floor, and I like that a lot.

[CoreyVillains]

He still looks like a tweener in the NBA and not in a good way. Just way too short for PF for my liking. I don't care wide or athletic he is. He certainly does not fit with our roster except of the bench.

Some of the top tier power forwards were around his height.

Charles Barkley, Dennis Rodman, Larry Johnson, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, Draymond Green, Elton Brand, Paul Milsap, Shawn Marion etc.

There have been a lot more effective power forwards in the 6'6 - 6'8 range than you imagine. Sure, the list of players I provided range from superstars, to all-stars and solid starters, but the point stands, if you have talent and skill, irregardless of athletic ability, you can have a place in this league as a shorter than standard power forward.

That said, I really haven't watched him enough in-game to know what type of skills he has which will translate to the NBA, but though he has the size of a power forward, he does seem to move like a small forward which could mean that he could mean that he'd have a mismatch at power forward practically every game.

Different era and Draymond is not worth a top 5 pick. Most of those guys aren't.

If you told every GM in the league that they could draft a player that equates to Draymond Green’s impact with a top 5 pick, every single one would do it without hesitation. Holy bad take.