Zion Williamson

B-Ball Freak · Post #301 » by **B-Ball Freak** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 3:30 pm

Duke is gonna be stacked again wow Coach K is amazing

azcatz11 · Post #302 » by **azcatz11** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 4:40 pm

doordoor123 wrote:I don’t get why top prospects would want to be on the same team. Sure you make sure you’re a lottery pick or close to it, but if you’re competing for the #1 pick it doesn’t make sense because one of those players will outplay the others just because they’re more featured. If they went to a team that is built around them and they succeed they have a much better chance of going higher. Duke is going to destroy college basketball next year.

They're not competing with each other like that...the scouts already know what they have with these guys by the time the draft rolls around. If Zion averages 5 more ppg than RJ it's not going to make a difference whose drafted #1.

The best thing that Coach K ever did was lead USA basketball. It's given him a completely unfair advantage in basically selecting who he wants.

SlowPaced · Post #303 » by **SlowPaced** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 4:57 pm

doordoor123 wrote:I don’t get why top prospects would want to be on the same team. Sure you make sure you’re a lottery pick or close to it, but if you’re competing for the #1 pick it doesn’t make sense because one of those players will outplay the others just because they’re more featured. If they went to a team that is built around them and they succeed they have a much better chance of going higher. Duke is going to destroy college basketball next year.

I don't think this is true. Karl-Anthony Towns wasn't really a more featured player than Willie Cauley-Stein or Trey Lyles when he was at Kentucky, and he still went #1.

doordoor123 · Post #304 » by **doordoor123** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 6:04 pm

SlowPaced wrote:
doordoor123 wrote:I don’t get why top prospects would want to be on the same team. Sure you make sure you’re a lottery pick or close to it, but if you’re competing for the #1 pick it doesn’t make sense because one of those players will outplay the others just because they’re more featured. If they went to a team that is built around them and they succeed they have a much better chance of going higher. Duke is going to destroy college basketball next year.

I don't think this is true. Karl-Anthony Towns wasn't really a more featured player than Willie Cauley-Stein or Trey Lyles when he was at Kentucky, and he still went #1.

None of the players you mentioned were able to showcase their full game in college because they were given roles. Towns was told to stay in the post, Lyles played small forward when he was a power forward and Cauley-Stein was pretty much a rim-runner and defender (he barely tried to expand his game and relied mostly on athleticism). All three look much better now in the NBA because they’re able to play their game.

SlowPaced · Post #305 » by **SlowPaced** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 6:24 pm

doordoor123 wrote:
SlowPaced wrote:
doordoor123 wrote:I don’t get why top prospects would want to be on the same team. Sure you make sure you’re a lottery pick or close to it, but if you’re competing for the #1 pick it doesn’t make sense because one of those players will outplay the others just because they’re more featured. If they went to a team that is built around them and they succeed they have a much better chance of going higher. Duke is going to destroy college basketball next year.

I don't think this is true. Karl-Anthony Towns wasn't really a more featured player than Willie Cauley-Stein or Trey Lyles when he was at Kentucky, and he still went #1.

None of the players you mentioned were able to showcase their full game in college because they were given roles. Towns was told to stay in the post, Lyles played small forward when he was a power forward and Cauley-Stein was pretty much a rim-runner and defender (he barely tried to expand his game and relied mostly on athleticism). All three look much better now in the NBA because they’re able to play their game.

Yeah but that's not the initial point you made. It doesn't really affect their draft stock. Towns couldn't showcase his game but still went #1 because scouts knew he had more in his arsenal.

pelifan · Post #306 » by **pelifan** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 6:43 pm

Duke4life831 wrote:
paulbball wrote:So I'm watching some Zion highlights.

6'5" barefeet, 272 lbs. This kid needs to lose some weight.

Looks more explosive than LeBron. Someone 272 should not be jumping like that.

What position will he play in the league?

Definitely needs to lose some weight. Im really curious what he could look like if he can get down to a shredded 250-255. I think weight is going to be a major factor in his career. I think he is the type of guy that can put on weight really easily (Kemp, Jabari). Right now you have hope he can become Draymond 2.0. A few things he does have going for him, the dude has a tremendous motor and is a really good rebounder for his size. Now he doesnt have the 7'1" wingspan and 8'10" standing reach like Draymond. The last measurements for Zion I believe are a 6'10" wingspan and an 8'7" standing reach. But who knows if the elite athleticism can make up for that. So if Im K and Im whoever is the coach that gets him at the NBA level, Im doing my best to make him Draymond. Right now he doesnt have the perimeter skills to be a 3.

eh what? Draymond? I think he has Larry Johnson written all over him. I get the lack of skills and whatnot, but his athleticism just gives him a totally different offensive outlook than Dray.

Also I, unlike Clyde21, do not applaud your sports teams, you managed to be a fan of probably my least favorite team in all 3 sports currently. Which of course by sports fan law, makes you a horrible human being.

Post #307 » by **Duke4life831** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 8:02 pm

pelifan wrote:
Duke4life831 wrote:
paulbball wrote:So I'm watching some Zion highlights.

6'5" barefeet, 272 lbs. This kid needs to lose some weight.

Looks more explosive than LeBron. Someone 272 should not be jumping like that.

What position will he play in the league?

Definitely needs to lose some weight. Im really curious what he could look like if he can get down to a shredded 250-255. I think weight is going to be a major factor in his career. I think he is the type of guy that can put on weight really easily (Kemp, Jabari). Right now you have hope he can become Draymond 2.0. A few things he does have going for him, the dude has a tremendous motor and is a really good rebounder for his size. Now he doesnt have the 7'1" wingspan and 8'10" standing reach like Draymond. The last measurements for Zion I believe are a 6'10" wingspan and an 8'7" standing reach. But who knows if the elite athleticism can make up for that. So if Im K and Im whoever is the coach that gets him at the NBA level, Im doing my best to make him Draymond. Right now he doesnt have the perimeter skills to be a 3.

eh what? Draymond? I think he has Larry Johnson written all over him. I get the lack of skills and whatnot, but his athleticism just gives him a totally different offensive outlook than Dray.

Also I, unlike Clyde21, do not applaud your sports teams, you managed to be a fan of probably my least favorite team in all 3 sports currently. Which of course by sports fan law, makes you a horrible human being.

I get the Larry Johnson comparison. Johnson is definitely closer when it comes to talking physically. Johnson also played in a much more different era than now. I think in today's era if I say a 6'7 PF that can handle the ball, underrated facilitator, very smart offensively and lacks a consistent jumper. Once he is away from the basket, his efficiency as a scorer drops drastically. I think offensively he can be played in a similar way as Draymond. Now of course I would like to think with his athleticism he might be a little more effective as a slasher than Draymond.

So if you want to say a slightly more aggressive scorer than Draymond with not being quite the defender, and if that is what you think Larry Johnson would be in today's game I totally get that. I just think it's easier to compare guys to this era of ball because of how much the game has changed.

scrabbarista · Post #308 » by **scrabbarista** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 1:29 am

I've been watching Zion (only on youtube) for a little over a year now, and I seem to have a very different take than anyone I've seen.

Before his major injury, I felt that he was going to be a shooting guard with virtually unlimited potential. I saw all of the ball-handling, creating, shooting, and facilitating I needed to see from a sixteen year old to believe that he could one day play the perimeter like James Harden. But then, you were also looking at Michael Jordan/LeBron James-type athleticism to go with that. So, yeah: unlimited.

Since the injury, I've come to feel quite differently. I still believe that the (potential) player I saw is (potentially) in there somewhere, but I feel much less strongly about how likely that player is to manifest some day. The one thing I totally agree with is that his weight will be a key factor, possibly the key factor, in how his NBA career develops. Post-injury, his athleticism has dropped noticeably, but I hope this has more to with him carrying that extra weight (and loss of muscle) and less to do with an actual decline in his raw material. His skill level also doesn't seem to have sky-rocketed the way I would've hoped. But it's still absurdly early in his development - and he was injured for a time - so I don't consider this lack of rapid development to necessarily be predictive of his future path.

In summary, I think his ceiling is going to be affected in a major, major way by his body fat % (and overall conditioning). If it's high, then sure, he may end up being the "better Julius Randle," or Larry Johnson, or Barkley-minus-rebounding that people have been predicting. If, on the other hand, he can get it low and keep it low (a chicken-and-egg relationship between his body fat % and whether he gets injured may also develop, imo), then I really think he is limitless. I think he has the potential to be an all-time shooting guard.

A year ago, I would've taken him #1 overall, blind, without even looking at the other prospects. Today, I would take Barrett over him (for the future as well as for the present), but I will be watching Zion for the next 12+ months. I still think, for now, that his ceiling is Best Player in the League.

CelticsWin5 · Post #309 » by **CelticsWin5** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 2:13 am

clyde21 wrote:
Duke4life831 wrote:
clyde21 wrote:
Wait, are all three of these guys going to the same school now?

Isnt it a beautiful thing.

You're a Warriors, Duke and Vikings fan. Life must be good.

Remind me again, how is life good for a Vikings fan? Getting beat by Foles doesn't sound good to me

Post #310 » by **Duke4life831** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 2:39 am

CelticsWin5 wrote:
clyde21 wrote:
Duke4life831 wrote:
Isnt it a beautiful thing.

You're a Warriors, Duke and Vikings fan. Life must be good.

Remind me again, how is life good for a Vikings fan? Getting beat by Foles doesn't sound good to me

Made it to the NFC championship with a 3rd string QB and backup RB. Not too shabby of a year.

CelticsWin5 · Post #311 » by **CelticsWin5** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 2:43 am

Duke4life831 wrote:
CelticsWin5 wrote:
clyde21 wrote:
You're a Warriors, Duke and Vikings fan. Life must be good.

Remind me again, how is life good for a Vikings fan? Getting beat by Foles doesn't sound good to me

Made it to the NFC championship with a 3rd string QB and backup RB. Not too shabby of a year.

that part is true. I wonder what Christian ponder is doing right about now

Post #312 » by **Goudelock** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 2:45 am

Duke4life831 wrote:
CelticsWin5 wrote:
clyde21 wrote:
You're a Warriors, Duke and Vikings fan. Life must be good.

Remind me again, how is life good for a Vikings fan? Getting beat by Foles doesn't sound good to me

Made it to the NFC championship with a 3rd string QB and backup RB. Not too shabby of a year.

Was a fun season overall. Now I just pray that we don't overpay Keenum in the offseason. Am lowkey hoping that we let Bradford and Keenum go, roll with Bridgewater, and possibly draft Lamar Jackson if he falls to the second round for our QB situation.

And since I don't want to wade through the whole thread, do you guys think that he will be a SF or a PF in the future. From his highlight vids, he has a very weak jumpshot and his handle doesn't look all that great. But he's kind of short for a PF, even in this age of smallball.

Post #313 » by **GimmeDat** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:43 am

I agree that he's looked clearly less athletic since that injury a little while back. For whatever reason, let's hope he can get back to that top athletic form again.

swyftdahoe · Post #314 » by **swyftdahoe** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:06 pm

He's gonna be a star because of one reason alone: motor. And that motor alone makes me think he'll get into top notch shape at the next levels.

For his sake and ours, I hope he becomes a lil bit of a dick like Draymond and Barkley.

kennydorglas · Post #315 » by **kennydorglas** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:53 pm

Coach K stole a page from Calipari and doesnt want to play anymore.
Damn.

No-Man · Post #316 » by **No-Man** » Tue Jan 23, 2018 11:13 am

He not going to UK must sting for Cal man, had a bad recruiting class this year and next season the team might be even worse, Shai, Knox, Vanderbilt and Diallo are gone 100%, I think Richards goes too just cause of his age, although he is more of a question mark

Green
Quickley-Baker
Johnson-Herro
Washington-Gabriel
SKJ-Wynyard
+maybe Richards, in which case Wynyard should transfer honestly, he could play in several mid-majors

Not saying that the roster is trash or anything, but for Cal standards, that's rough.

Worm122 · Post #317 » by **Worm122** » Tue Jan 23, 2018 3:33 pm

Cowardson

Enviado do meu iPhone usando RealGM Forums

SeattleJazzFan · Post #318 » by **SeattleJazzFan** » Fri Jan 26, 2018 7:22 pm

incredibly skilled, but dude's a fat ass. will be interesting to see if he can lose about 30 lbs as a college frosh.

In2ition · Post #319 » by **In2ition** » Fri Jan 26, 2018 7:48 pm

SeattleJazzFan wrote:incredibly skilled, but dude's a fat ass. will be interesting to see if he can lose about 30 lbs as a college frosh.

He does look big, and usually that effects a players athleticism(think Anthony Bennett). It's hard to say that he is suffering from the weight, as he has athleticism to spare. What do you think he would be like if he dropped 30 lbs?

Maybe if he just turned a lot of the fat to muscle and kept his flexibility...

TheSuzerain · Post #320 » by **TheSuzerain** » Sat Jan 27, 2018 4:08 am

In2ition wrote:
SeattleJazzFan wrote:incredibly skilled, but dude's a fat ass. will be interesting to see if he can lose about 30 lbs as a college frosh.

He does look big, and usually that effects a players athleticism(think Anthony Bennett). It's hard to say that he is suffering from the weight, as he has athleticism to spare. What do you think he would be like if he dropped 30 lbs?

Maybe if he just turned a lot of the fat to muscle and kept his flexibility...

Let's not overthink this. He already has plenty of muscle. Just needs to cut some of the fat.