Zion Williamson in the NBA?

[-G-]

So is debate allowed here or is it a thread only for preaching to the choir of people who think he's gonna be a bust?

anything goes. It's an unpopular opinion so there will be pushback. I get it. I just don't see the skills in Zion.

His touch around the basket is insanely good.

[SecondTake]

I think his floor/worst case is Julius Randle

Really good comparison IMO.

lol. Get out of here with that. His floor is about top 20 all time and his ceiling is GOAT. If he doesnt retire as a top 20 player at the minimum it would be a massive disappointment. Randle, cmon. Zion would be a top 10 player in the NBA if he was playing right now.

[Archerbro]

I think his floor/worst case is Julius Randle

Really good comparison IMO.

lol. Get out of here with that. His floor is about top 20 all time and his ceiling is GOAT. If he doesnt retire as a top 20 player at the minimum it would be a massive disappointment. Randle, cmon. Zion would be a top 10 player in the NBA if he was playing right now.

sarcasm? floor is worst case, everything goes wrong.

top 20? that's like saying Barkley is his floor (mvp).

I do think he can be a generational talent, but his floor/worst case being a multiple time all star/mvp (top 5 PF) is probably way too optimistic.

[Ugly Duckling]

He could turn out better than LeBron, but saying that he will is verging on blasphemy. Let the kid play first.

I like what you did there with the italics. Are you saying LeBron is God

[SecondTake]

Really good comparison IMO.

lol. Get out of here with that. His floor is about top 20 all time and his ceiling is GOAT. If he doesnt retire as a top 20 player at the minimum it would be a massive disappointment. Randle, cmon. Zion would be a top 10 player in the NBA if he was playing right now.

sarcasm? floor is worst case, everything goes wrong.

top 20? that's like saying Barkley is his floor (mvp).

I do think he can be a generational talent, but his floor/worst case being a multiple time all star/mvp (top 5 PF) is probably way too optimistic.

I would say Barkley is his floor, yeah. He will be as good as peak Barkley by year 3-5. Barkley didnt take care of himself that well and faded out too soon, I doubt that happens to Zion with the way teams zone in on nutrition and training today.

[GeorgeMarcus]

He could turn out better than LeBron, but saying that he will is verging on blasphemy. Let the kid play first.

I like what you did there with the italics. Are you saying LeBron is God

Thanks man, I’m part of an italics special interest group. And yeah it pains me to say it but LeBron reached Demi God status in 2016.

[E-Balla]

Don't forget, at his worst at the next level he would essentially be a Julius Randle with defense which is a highly impactful player. He's more skilled than Blake Griffin at the same age and Blake made the all star team his "rookie" year.

His height is comparable to PJ Tucker, Draymond Green, and Charles Barkley. He's much more athletic than the aforementioned players and stronger too. I have little doubt, barring injury of course, he'll be a very successful NBA player. More likely, he'll be the next face of the league.

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All those guys have 7 foot plus wingspans. Zion if he's lucky has a 6-10 wingspan. Hell Barkley and Draymond aren't even undersized if you go off their standing reaches.

I'm brought in on Zion but that has more to do with how he's proven he can guard SFs and SGs, because dude is extremely undersized with average length arms which isn't common at all.

Zion can guard the perimeter but underestimating his potential as an interior defender. What he lacks in length he makes up for in strength. When it comes to guarding the post specifically, positioning plays a huge part and I would say strength matters just as much if not more than strength.

Eric Gordon, James Harden, and Josh Hart are among the best post defenders in the league.

https://stats.nba.com/players/playtype-post-up/?SeasonType=Regular%20Season&TypeGrouping=defensive&PerMode=Totals&sort=PERCENTILE&dir=1&CF=POSS*GE*50

What they lack in length when facing tall defenders they make up for in strength. I have no doubt he'll be fine defensively against taller players.

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100% agreed. I think his length hurts him as a rim protector though (if you jump into him he can't elevate to block your shot without fouling). Next to a great shotblocker he can be a great 4 imo.

Either way anyone who doubts his defense hasn't seen him. His defense is actually better than his offense.

[alebaba]

here's a comparison with Steph/Blake in college. Blake was physically dominant. In the NBA? Not so much.:

Watch on YouTube

Is this a joke, Blake was a top 5 player in his prime and was like 3rd in mvp voting. Injuries is what cause his down fall.

I guess some ppl just watch news and media instead of watching nba games.

[Ugly Duckling]

He could turn out better than LeBron, but saying that he will is verging on blasphemy. Let the kid play first.

I like what you did there with the italics. Are you saying LeBron is God

Thanks man, I’m part of an italics special interest group. And yeah it pains me to say it but LeBron reached Demi God status in 2016.

Blasphemy

[Coach Carter]

Obviously his physicals are insane which is why the media is so high on him but his finesse leaves a lot to be desired, thus i think the hype is unjustified. He also benefits from being in a class that doesn't grip you for the time being. Mind you, could be a sleeper class.

Anyway, whoever said randle, i think this is spot on. High motor guy that is limited to using his ball dominant hand, making him all too predictable when he tries to iso, whilst lacking the handles of someone like giannis. I think with the latter in mind, you wouldn't put the ball in his hands but rather use him as a finisher. If this was soccer, he would be a poacher which is basically a guy that lacks finesse and the ability to create his own goal, thus waits for the pass. Similarly, zion would require someone like trey or luka to feed him, thus giving him those high % looks.

Defensively i think he needs to learn to not leave his man open so often as he has a tendency to be drawn to the ball handler. Though this doesn't matter as much now, in the nba you can't do this. Also he needs to do a better job reading plays and sniffing out danger. Draymond for instance, knows when to leave his defender to protect the paint. Also if you watch JJJ, his defensive positioning is outstanding for his age.

[Domejandro]

Obviously his physicals are insane which is why the media is so high on him but his finesse leaves a lot to be desired, thus i think the hype is unjustified. He also benefits from being in a class that doesn't grip you for the time being. Mind you, could be a sleeper class.

His unbelievable finesse and feel for the game is literally where the hype derives from, given his size and strength.

[Clyde Frazier]

I mean... Very few people think he's going to be a bust.

[CycklopsGT]

I hope he's just as exciting in the NBA as he is in college. But he's still a 6'6" guy with a questionable jump shot. You can't declare him the GOAT yet.

[Mr B]

I hope he's just as exciting in the NBA as he is in college. But he's still a 6'6" guy with a questionable jump shot. You can't declare him the GOAT yet.

The mechanics are there, he isn’t needs to work on it. If he puts in the work his J will get there.

[NYKHardKnock]

Floor...Blake Griffin with defense
Ceiling... greatest of all time

@ me bitches

[RCM88x]

I worry about his durability, especially considering his play style. Guess we'll see how it goes.

[CelticSooner]

Floor...Blake Griffin with defense
Ceiling... greatest of all time

@ me bitches

I agree on his floor being Blake. I think he needs to trim up some and save his knees in 10 years. If he’s committed to his body the sky is the limit.

[LeStud]

I think his floor/worst case is Julius Randle

Really good comparison IMO.

lol. Get out of here with that. His floor is about top 20 all time and his ceiling is GOAT. If he doesnt retire as a top 20 player at the minimum it would be a massive disappointment. Randle, cmon. Zion would be a top 10 player in the NBA if he was playing right now.

Top 10 right now?

Talk about a punch drunk hot take. Bully ball works against undersized boys in CBB, good luck pulling that against grown men 4s in the NBA.

[LeStud]

Floor...Blake Griffin with defense
Ceiling... greatest of all time

@ me bitches

I agree on his floor being Blake. I think he needs to trim up some and save his knees in 10 years. If he’s committed to his body the sky is the limit.

If he doesn't lose 25lbs, he won't make it past his rookie deal without a bad back and/or knee problems.

[Mr.Raptorsingh]

Y'all see them passes he made in that game?