Zion?...

[CuseFaninVT]

I’m also a bit skeptical of Zion at the next level. He’s going to be good, I would not give him #1 money though.

2 things concern me:

1). His body type. He’s going to have a hard time keeping his weight down.

2). The skill level isn’t great. He’s a ohysical beast though.

I think you're a tremendous contributor here, but please explain how a guy who will play 82 games every season and who will have millions of dollars to pay for personal trainers and chefs will have a problem keeping his weight down? Is your concern the off season? This makes no sense to me whatsoever.

I agree he needs to get his three worked out before he can be a truly great pro. Otherwise, I don't see any roadblocks for him being really, really good at the next level.

 

[supp]

Well, it wasn't all one way. ZW got away with a lot of contact also. Several times he fairly pushed players out of his way going after rebounds.

Bolden! He trampled three of our players on one board in the second half and they called the foul on us! He got away with murder tonight. McDonough was repeatedly humiliating the refs live on air for the last 10 minutes of the second half.

 

[Cowtown]

I think you're a tremendous contributor here, but please explain how a guy who will play 82 games every season and who will have millions of dollars to pay for personal trainers and chefs will have a problem keeping his weight down? Is your concern the off season? This makes no sense to me whatsoever.

I agree he needs to get his three worked out before he can be a truly great pro. Otherwise, I don't see any roadblocks for him being really, really good at the next level.

I think he's going to be a Blake Griffin type starting out. He may improve his shot, which looks like he learned it from Irina Tarasova. But the big problem he'll have, and right away, is he's not going to have Marek and PC to push around at that level. Gonna be a lot of other big strong bodies between him and the basket where he's going, and he's not going to get away with bad habit of just pushing guys out of his way, and I suspect he'll have a few others by then.

 

[Cowtown]

He creates a lot of contact, that's for sure. Thought he got away with several offensive fouls tonight. Our guys don't flop well enough to get those calls, clearly.

Not in Cameron, anyway, that's for certain!

 

[HOFCeluck]

I think you're a tremendous contributor here, but please explain how a guy who will play 82 games every season and who will have millions of dollars to pay for personal trainers and chefs will have a problem keeping his weight down? Is your concern the off season? This makes no sense to me whatsoever.

I agree he needs to get his three worked out before he can be a truly great pro. Otherwise, I don't see any roadblocks for him being really, really good at the next level.

Hahaha you can have all the money in the world to pay for trainers and chefs but you cant buy discipline, self control, or genetics for that matter.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Hahaha you can have all the money in the world to pay for trainers and chefs but you cant buy discipline, self control, or genetics for that matter.

I mean, he's already lost 5 pounds this season. Not sure why anyone is concerned here. Dude is thick.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I don’t know. Great athlete and awesome around the hoop, but mediocre hoops IQ, no handle, and got blown off the dribble by Battle on several occasions.

He is nothing like LeBron, who is an elite on the ball defender. In my opinion, he’s a bigger Larry Johnson.

I think Barrett is the better player.

I think Johnson was a better shooter at this point.
I agree that Barrett is a very well rounded player who is maybe more suited to the NBA game than Zion, at least the way it is played today. Zion is eventually going to have to become an adequate 3 point shooter so that people have to guard him outside.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I think Johnson was a better shooter at this point.
I agree that Barrett is a very well rounded player who is maybe more suited to the NBA game than Zion, at least the way it is played today. Zion is eventually going to have to become an adequate 3 point shooter so that people have to guard him outside.

curious how you are determining this about Johnson as I can't find his Odessa College stats from his freshman year anywhere.

 

[EastCoast2]

I mean, he's already lost 5 pounds this season. Not sure why anyone is concerned here. Dude is thick.

He's a solid 280 (if he really is 280). Whatever he weighs, it's good, solid weight. There is good weight and bad weight. CC Sabathia had bad weight. His fat led to more fat over his career and that's why he showed up 40 lbs overwieght half of his career.

Muscle consumes more energy than fat. That's why muscular people, all else equal, put on less fat than others.

As CuseVT mentioned, Zion can work on his shooting. Both form and consistency. his physical prowess and athleticism can't be taught. LeBron wasn't a great shooter in HS or his first couple seasons, but with his explosiveness he could get by defenders, play great defense, be a great rebounder, and not get physically abused in the post.

 

[HOFCeluck]

I mean, he's already lost 5 pounds this season. Not sure why anyone is concerned here. Dude is thick.

Well first, there’s the off-season, and second, it’s easier to keep weight off when you’re 19.

 

[cuseincincy]

First of all Zion is a great college player. If an NBA team drafts him ahead of Barrett they will be wondering why before that years all-star game. I see more of a Big Baby Davis in the NBA. The Lebron comparison is false. Soemone said "now we know what Lebron would have been in college..." Not really. At 18 Lebron was 6'6" 225 lbs. Completely different player as even then Lebron spent a lot of time shooting outside. I have a hard time seeing ZW guard NBA 3's and as a 4 he will struggle against the 6'10" 280 lbers. Potential all star? Maybe if he develops something beside being big and athletic. He will never be able to play 2G in the NBA as Lebron could still (if he wasn't on a team with nothing but 2G's on it). Let's just enjoy him in college whenever he's not facing the Orange.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

First of all Zion is a great college player. If an NBA team drafts him ahead of Barrett they will be wondering why before that years all-star game. I see more of a Big Baby Davis in the NBA. The Lebron comparison is false. Soemone said "now we know what Lebron would have been in college..." Not really. At 18 Lebron was 6'6" 225 lbs. Completely different player as even then Lebron spent a lot of time shooting outside. I have a hard time seeing ZW guard NBA 3's and as a 4 he will struggle against the 6'10" 280 lbers. Potential all star? Maybe if he develops something beside being big and athletic. He will never be able to play 2G in the NBA as Lebron could still (if he wasn't on a team with nothing but 2G's on it). Let's just enjoy him in college whenever he's not facing the Orange.

He's far more athletic than Davis ever was. That's not going to disappear because he's getting a bigger paycheck. He's got LeBron athleticism with Davis' size.

 

[NYCorange]

First of all Zion is a great college player. If an NBA team drafts him ahead of Barrett they will be wondering why before that years all-star game. I see more of a Big Baby Davis in the NBA. The Lebron comparison is false. Soemone said "now we know what Lebron would have been in college..." Not really. At 18 Lebron was 6'6" 225 lbs. Completely different player as even then Lebron spent a lot of time shooting outside. I have a hard time seeing ZW guard NBA 3's and as a 4 he will struggle against the 6'10" 280 lbers. Potential all star? Maybe if he develops something beside being big and athletic. He will never be able to play 2G in the NBA as Lebron could still (if he wasn't on a team with nothing but 2G's on it). Let's just enjoy him in college whenever he's not facing the Orange.

I completely disagree. There are athletic players, and then there is Zion Williamson. He makes other NBA caliber athletes look un-athletic by comparison (All of Kentucky's players, for example). Additionally, lots of 'athletes' are explosive, but not super coordinated (think Hamidou Diallo). Zion has by far the greatest combination of the two that I've ever seen at the college level. And his athleticism masks that he's actually really, really skilled too. He has a very good handle, finishes with excellent touch, and his footwork is amazing. He's also not a lost cause as a shooter. He's shot 70% from the line over a ton of attempts so far this year which is usually the most important indicator for future shooting success.

I fully expect Zion to be nearly an all star the minute he walks into the league with a sort of Ben Simmons impact with the potential to be a top 5 NBA player within 4 years. He has the sort of game-breaking athleticism and coordination and covers all other skill issues. In that way, I can see him being like Giannis in his impact on the game.

Edit: Regarding position--Zion's future is at the 3 and 4 in the short term, but at the 4 and 5 long term in the NBA. You say he will struggle against the 6'10" 280 lbers. What starting PF's in the NBA are that size? For comparison, Zach Randolph the biggest most brusing PF that I can think of in today's NBA is 6'9" 260.

 

[sufandu]

He's not a finished product. He's a college freshman. A lot of NBA hall of famers weren't nearly as good at this stage. Whatever he's 'missing,' he'll develop.

I agree. I thought Rasheed Wallace would only be a decent player because he only played inside at UNC. Blake Griffin wasn't so different in college. You're right. If Zion wants to put in the work, he round out his game. I'm curious how long his knees will hold up.

 

[IthacaMatt]

curious how you are determining this about Johnson as I can't find his Odessa College stats from his freshman year anywhere.

I meant Larry Johnson's ability as a college player as opposed to his shooting ability as a pro.
Even in college, he shot 35% from three at UNLV.

So, sure, I can't find his shooting percentages from Odessa JC either, but he did average about 30 points and 18 rebounds a game his second year there. Since his 3 point shooting was consistent in his 2 years at UNLV, he probably wasn't terrible at it, if he was scoring 30 points a game on their way to a JUCO National Championship.

He eventually became a good 3 point shooter as a pro from the longer distance, too. I remember him being able to hit some big threes as a Knick.

 

[CaptainJ]

Kids unstoppable. White and Barrett should be embarrassed they shot the ball as much as they did.

K should be more embarassed, that he let them shoot as much. Seriously, what the?!?!

 

[moqui]

gags on late/ close game free throws