Duke's Zion Williamson seems like a lock for the top spot in the NBA Draft, but is that a good thing?
CLOSE What I'm Hearing: HoopsHype's Alex Kennedy breaks down what Zion Williamson needs to do to impress scouts at the NBA draft combine. USA TODAY
Williamson should one day be a perennial All-Star, has a legitimate chance to be a top-five player and — if everything goes right — could perhaps be the best player in the league at some point. In the span of 11 days in March during the ACC and NCAA tournaments, I watched Williamson up close on five occasions. The number of times he made a play that inspired me to jump out of my seat was probably several dozen.
Williamsons’ go-to move in college was the power dribble/spin from the block or the high post. Will that type of bully-ball work in the NBA against athletic 7-footers who can withstand his physical strength? Not so much. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword in projecting him. Perhaps once Williamson gets in a year-round, professional strength and conditioning program along with a full-time nutritionist, he’ll be able to get a little leaner and take his game to another level. On the other hand, players who have a natural propensity to put on weight can be dangerous as they get older.
An 82-game season plus a long postseason is a different grind than a short college spring. Playing harder than your opponent can get you a few more regular season wins, but in the playoffs the effort gap gets erased. You have to just be better. Sure, it would be a major risk to trade him for Davis – especially without a commitment that Davis would sign a long-term extension going into the last year of his contract.
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