Last call, does anybody still think Zion will underwhelm in his rookie season ?

[coldfish]

Lots of people mentioning Lebron so let's go there. This is Lebron's rookie year:
20.9p 5.5r 5.9a 41.7%fg 29.0%3p 18.3per 48.8%ts

I would be surprised if Zion doesn't beat most of those stats. That said, it was really Lebron's 2nd year that got things going for him.

Keep in mind, LeBron came straight from high-school and was added to a dysfunctional team that had to be blown up. He wasn't even paired with any sort of playmaker or floor spacer until a trade brought in Jeff McInnis.

No two situations are the same and obviously Lebron has gone on to be one of the all time greats. I just kind of get the impression that people are comparing Zion this year to prime Lebron. That's not realistic.

As a side note, I don't think Zion is going to be an all time great player. Like top 10 or something. I do think very highly of him though and think a lot of people are going to be surprised at his impact on the game.

[JonFromVA]

Lots of people mentioning Lebron so let's go there. This is Lebron's rookie year:
20.9p 5.5r 5.9a 41.7%fg 29.0%3p 18.3per 48.8%ts

I would be surprised if Zion doesn't beat most of those stats. That said, it was really Lebron's 2nd year that got things going for him.

Keep in mind, LeBron came straight from high-school and was added to a dysfunctional team that had to be blown up. He wasn't even paired with any sort of playmaker or floor spacer until a trade brought in Jeff McInnis.

No two situations are the same and obviously Lebron has gone on to be one of the all time greats. I just kind of get the impression that people are comparing Zion this year to prime Lebron. That's not realistic.

As a side note, I don't think Zion is going to be an all time great player. Like top 10 or something. I do think very highly of him though and think a lot of people are going to be surprised at his impact on the game.

Zion lacks some of the skills that James has/had, but in terms of just being a physical wrecking ball he's well ahead of LeBron as a rook. If the Pelicans can get him the ball near the rim with some space, he's going to score a lot of points. If LeBron was used more as a finisher than a creator as a rook, though, he'd have been a lot more efficient as well.

Ultimately the only thing that matters from a star is their ability to lead their team to wins. It's a long road and Zion is just getting on the on-ramp.