Zion Williamson in the NBA?

[bondom34]

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

https://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/b20qdf/zion_williamson_crazy_bounce_pass/

Can't embed the video but wow.

[theonlyclutch]

[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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He could be a great positional defender, but his lack of size really does limit his potential as a “team defender” deterring shots at the rim. Maybe he is able to switch 1-5, but we have to wait and see vs high level nba guards.

Still, he could be a big time scorer imo, and still consider him can’t miss number 1 pick this year.

Yeah when considering his defense rim protection should be a far bigger issue than anything else, he's way too strong with a relatively low center of gravity to bully in the post and he has the quickness to keep up with nearly anyone on the perimeter.

[jacoby1us]

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.

Might need to drop more than that. He is at least 275, I would think 235-240 is an ideal weight for him and his bully ball athletic tactics.

[Duke4life831]

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

https://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/b20qdf/zion_williamson_crazy_bounce_pass/

Can't embed the video but wow.

Read on Twitter

[Optms]

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.

Those concerns are entirely unfounded. Most people look at his weight and are nonchalantly saying the same thing without taking account of what he can already accomplish at his 275lbs + frame. There is zero evidence indicating his weight is hindering anything he does.

I'm curious to know what his body fat percentage is. My guess from looking at him is that its probably down in the 10% region. If that's the case, then he doesn't need to lose weight. He is just built entirely differently then anyone that's come before him. Its not a stretch either just by looking at him. His skeletal frame appears to be abnormally large and fully capable of supporting him. The dude is just a tank.

[HMFFL]

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.

Might need to drop more than that. He is at least 275, I would think 235-240 is an ideal weight for him and his bully ball athletic tactics.

Zion would probably laugh at the thought of 235. He seems to be fine at his current weight but his future conditioning coach will help him decide what's best. Naturally, he probably cuts fat, and gets more cut.

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[Optms]

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.

Considering he's already light years ahead of Randle at the same time in term of skill, defense, size and athleticism, something would need to go terribly wrong ala Fultz for him to have Randle's limited floor. He'll probably have a larger positive impact than Randle by the end of his rookie season.

[theonlyclutch]

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.

Those concerns are entirely unfounded. Most people look at his weight and are nonchalantly saying the same thing without taking account of what he can already accomplish at his 275lbs + frame. There is zero evidence indicating his weight is hindering anything he does.

I'm curious to know what his body fat percentage is. My guess from looking at him is that its probably down in the 10% region. If that's the case, then he doesn't need to lose weight. He is just built entirely differently then anyone that's come before him. Its not a stretch either just by looking at him. His skeletal frame appears to be abnormally large and fully capable of supporting him. The dude is just a tank.

His weight isn't hindering him now because he is at his peak in terms of physical recovery period as an 18 year old, and he gets a lot of time to recuperate between college games (certainty more than NBA). The concern is how his playing style + weight may bother him from his mid 20s onwards, not now. Cutting 15-20lbs will help his joints on all the quick lateral movements (these movements put a ton of force on the knees) he will have to do to defend perimeter guys.

[LeStud]

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.

Those concerns are entirely unfounded. Most people look at his weight and are nonchalantly saying the same thing without taking account of what he can already accomplish at his 275lbs + frame. There is zero evidence indicating his weight is hindering anything he does.

I'm curious to know what his body fat percentage is. My guess from looking at him is that its probably down in the 10% region. If that's the case, then he doesn't need to lose weight. He is just built entirely differently then anyone that's come before him. Its not a stretch either just by looking at him. His skeletal frame appears to be abnormally large and fully capable of supporting him. The dude is just a tank.

Larry Johnson is a guy who even weighed less but carried too much weight for his frame and playing style.

Remind us how that 6'7" 250lb freight train worked out for LJ post college.

[LeStud]

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

Those concerns are entirely unfounded. Most people look at his weight and are nonchalantly saying the same thing without taking account of what he can already accomplish at his 275lbs + frame. There is zero evidence indicating his weight is hindering anything he does.

I'm curious to know what his body fat percentage is. My guess from looking at him is that its probably down in the 10% region. If that's the case, then he doesn't need to lose weight. He is just built entirely differently then anyone that's come before him. Its not a stretch either just by looking at him. His skeletal frame appears to be abnormally large and fully capable of supporting him. The dude is just a tank.

His weight isn't hindering him now because he is at his peak in terms of physical recovery period as an 18 year old, and he gets a lot of time to recuperate between college games (certainty more than NBA). The concern is how his playing style + weight may bother him from his mid 20s onwards, not now. Cutting 15-20lbs will help his joints on all the quick lateral movements (these movements put a ton of force on the knees) he will have to do to defend perimeter guys.

Amazed that this common sense must be explained but forgot that RGM is 99% middle aged armchair analysts who've never played a day of organized basketball.

[tarantism]

Am I the only one not seeing it here? Can he shoot? No. Is he a playmaker? No. Is he particularly long, or tall? No. Does he have a refined skill set? No. Is he a lock down, intelligent defender? No. Does he have a next level feel for the game? No.

Is he an otherworldly athlete? Absolutely. He is also a hard worker. But I just don't see the skill set here to assume that this guy is not a serious injury away from irrelevance.

I hate to be cynical about it. I'm just not understanding why people are losing their minds over this guy. I'm also no NBA scout, so what do I know.

There is no track record of guys like Zion getting a jump shot. I understand getting lost in the potential, but LeBrons don't just grow on trees, friends. History does not glow upon Zion. I hate to say it, and I know I'm going to get **** on, but I see major bust potential with this kid.

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[pwayknicks]

He’s going to look nice in the blue and orange! Especially with a ball dominant pg like kyrie or kemba


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[Duke4life831]

Am I the only one not seeing it here? Can he shoot? No. Is he a playmaker? No. Is he particularly long, or tall? No. Does he have a refined skill set? No. Is he a lock down, intelligent defender? No. Does he have a next level feel for the game? No.

Is he an otherworldly athlete? Absolutely. He is also a hard worker. But I just don't see the skill set here to assume that this guy is not a serious injury away from irrelevance.

I hate to be cynical about it. I'm just not understanding why people are losing their minds over this guy. I'm also no NBA scout, so what do I know.

There is no track record of guys like Zion getting a jump shot. I understand getting lost in the potential, but LeBrons don't just grow on trees, friends. History does not glow upon Zion. I hate to say it, and I know I'm going to get **** on, but I see major bust potential with this kid.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

ACC all defense team and national DPOY finalist. I honestly don't get the people questioning his defense.

Also what do you mean there is no track record of guys like Zion getting a jump shot? He shot 37% from 3 in conference play, he has shot 31% from 3 on the season. Blake Griffin didn't make a single 3 in his freshman year and in his 2 years total shot 3-10. He was also a sub 60% FT shooter. Blake is shooting 37% on 7 3pt attempts a game this year.

[tarantism]

Am I the only one not seeing it here? Can he shoot? No. Is he a playmaker? No. Is he particularly long, or tall? No. Does he have a refined skill set? No. Is he a lock down, intelligent defender? No. Does he have a next level feel for the game? No.

Is he an otherworldly athlete? Absolutely. He is also a hard worker. But I just don't see the skill set here to assume that this guy is not a serious injury away from irrelevance.

I hate to be cynical about it. I'm just not understanding why people are losing their minds over this guy. I'm also no NBA scout, so what do I know.

There is no track record of guys like Zion getting a jump shot. I understand getting lost in the potential, but LeBrons don't just grow on trees, friends. History does not glow upon Zion. I hate to say it, and I know I'm going to get **** on, but I see major bust potential with this kid.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

ACC all defense team and national DPOY finalist. I honestly don't get the people questioning his defense.

Also what do you mean there is no track record of guys like Zion getting a jump shot? He shot 37% from 3 in conference play, he has shot 31% from 3 on the season. Blake Griffin didn't make a single 3 in his freshman year and in his 2 years total shot 3-10. He was also a sub 60% FT shooter. Blake is shooting 37% on 7 3pt attempts a game this year.

Kent Bazemore was All Defense in college. ****, Kobe was on several All Defense teams. Don't confuse blocks and steals steals with consistently good on and off ball defense. Zion is NOT there yet.

As far as jump shooting, he is just not considered a threat from out there right now. Zion eats on bully ball. There is nothing wrong with that, but it generally does not translate well. Thats all I'm saying.

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[juanc]

Am I the only one not seeing it here? Can he shoot? No. Is he a playmaker? No. Is he particularly long, or tall? No. Does he have a refined skill set? No. Is he a lock down, intelligent defender? No. Does he have a next level feel for the game? No.

Is he an otherworldly athlete? Absolutely. He is also a hard worker. But I just don't see the skill set here to assume that this guy is not a serious injury away from irrelevance.

I hate to be cynical about it. I'm just not understanding why people are losing their minds over this guy. I'm also no NBA scout, so what do I know.

There is no track record of guys like Zion getting a jump shot. I understand getting lost in the potential, but LeBrons don't just grow on trees, friends. History does not glow upon Zion. I hate to say it, and I know I'm going to get **** on, but I see major bust potential with this kid.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

I see him being an elite 2nd option, but I just don't see the skillset to be a 1st option and lead a team somewhere. He is going to be great, but he will never be on the Harden, LeBron, Giannis, Curry, KD,... level

[AZNKidd]

Am I the only one not seeing it here? Can he shoot? No. Is he a playmaker? No. Is he particularly long, or tall? No. Does he have a refined skill set? No. Is he a lock down, intelligent defender? No. Does he have a next level feel for the game? No.

Is he an otherworldly athlete? Absolutely. He is also a hard worker. But I just don't see the skill set here to assume that this guy is not a serious injury away from irrelevance.

I hate to be cynical about it. I'm just not understanding why people are losing their minds over this guy. I'm also no NBA scout, so what do I know.

There is no track record of guys like Zion getting a jump shot. I understand getting lost in the potential, but LeBrons don't just grow on trees, friends. History does not glow upon Zion. I hate to say it, and I know I'm going to get **** on, but I see major bust potential with this kid.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

I see him being an elite 2nd option, but I just don't see the skillset to be a 1st option and lead a team somewhere. He is going to be great, but he will never be on the Harden, LeBron, Giannis, Curry, KD,... level

Take it easy...he's only 18. Skills and experience comes with age. Do you remember how Giannis looked like first year in the league?

[Mac1958]

I like the description I saw on one of the NBA mock draft sites:

Air Barkley.

[juanc]

Am I the only one not seeing it here? Can he shoot? No. Is he a playmaker? No. Is he particularly long, or tall? No. Does he have a refined skill set? No. Is he a lock down, intelligent defender? No. Does he have a next level feel for the game? No.

Is he an otherworldly athlete? Absolutely. He is also a hard worker. But I just don't see the skill set here to assume that this guy is not a serious injury away from irrelevance.

I hate to be cynical about it. I'm just not understanding why people are losing their minds over this guy. I'm also no NBA scout, so what do I know.

There is no track record of guys like Zion getting a jump shot. I understand getting lost in the potential, but LeBrons don't just grow on trees, friends. History does not glow upon Zion. I hate to say it, and I know I'm going to get **** on, but I see major bust potential with this kid.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

I see him being an elite 2nd option, but I just don't see the skillset to be a 1st option and lead a team somewhere. He is going to be great, but he will never be on the Harden, LeBron, Giannis, Curry, KD,... level

Take it easy...he's only 18. Skills and experience comes with age. Do you remember how Giannis looked like first year in the league?

And how many players there are that had Giannis' improvement curve? He is more the exception than the rule.And Giannis was always a good passer/facilitator, I don't see that in Zion.

I'm not saying that he will be a bust. He is a great prospect, I just don't see him being in the tier 1 of superstars.

[GrandTheftRondo]

Every time there’s a physically imposing player who scores a lot of points playing bully ball, people say "He's not going to be able to bully in the NBA". And then most of those guys do end up being bully ball scorers at the next level.

The exact same thing was said about Julius Randle, he has no problems bullying his way to buckets right now. And Zion is much more physically imposing than Randle is.

Zion is 6'6" and 280 lbs with low body fat. How on earth can one claim that his physical strength will be diminished at the next level is beyond me. There's no player in the NBA that's as tank-like as he is, other than LeBron.

Personally, I don't doubt the Zion will still be physically dominant in the NBA. What I doubt is that a guy can still get by primarily on bully ball. You cited Julius Randle. I think that's perfect, because he's amounted to a role player who is a huge defensive liability. His overall basketball skill level prevents his physical prowess from leading to all star level play.

In Zion's case, he's even more physical than Randle and I would say more skilled as well, but he has no where near an all star level skill set yet IMO. His overall commitment to developing his skills, as well as ending up on a team that helps him do so effectively will determine if he's closer to the next LeBron or the next Randle.

I think it's amazing how dominant Zion is in college despite not even needing to hog the ball every possession. In the NC game the other night he wasn't even getting plays run for him and he was still getting points.

I think in the NBA the sky is the limit for him if he gets a coach willing to maximise his talents. I think he has a lot of potential in transition at the next level and even in the half court with better spacing. His handles aren't terrible and his athletic ability will allow him to get by guys.

[GrandTheftRondo]

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

Watch on YouTube

Blake Griffin has literally been a 20/10 dude his whole career, top 5 player at one point and was very hard to stop physically in his Clipper days.

This is absurd.