Analysis: Zion Williamson is made for the NBA but his impact might not be immediate
Duke freshman Zion Williamson is likely heading to New Orleans. By Neil Greenberg Neil Greenberg Reporter analyzing advanced sports statistics for The Washington Post Email Bio Follow May 15 at 10:10 AM In an unlikely turn of events, New Orleans moved up from the seventh spot to the top of this year’s NBA draft lottery Tuesday night, earning the right to select Zion Williamson, the consensus No. 1 pick, in next month’s NBA draft.
This isn’t to say Williamson is the next Antetokounmpo, but according to projections by ESPN Analytics, Williamson has a 76 percent chance to play at an all-star level in the NBA, the highest upside of any player since 2005, the first year data is available, and 10 percentage points higher than the estimates for Kevin Durant in 2007.
If Davis does get dealt, it makes sense to acquire assets that would compliment Williamson’s playing style. Specifically, perimeter shooters who can help space the floor and open up driving lanes to the basket. New Orleans ranked 24th for percentage of field goal attempts taken from three-point range in 2018-19 and among the players currently under contract for 2019-20 only Holiday averaged more than five three-point attempts per game.
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