Despite the hype, Zion is a player that pro basketball has never seen. And here are four reasons why I see Williamson less like LeBron and more like Randle.
Zion Williamson, the star player at Duke, is already a big-time celebrity. Zion is made for greatness–from high school to college he has been a player rarely seen before. He’s built like The Hulk, plays like a guard, and dunks angrily. Williamson has shades of Blake Griffin and Charles Barkley wrapped into one.
Zion (photo, Esquire)
Zion, who weighs in at 285 and stands 6’7″ is–in a word–a MONSTER! Or is it ‘Mon-star’?! It’s probably the latter.
His hype factor is the same as when LeBron entered the league. And that scares me. It scares me because many fans and the media hold Zion to a standard that, well, I don’t think is achievable. While I see limited validity in the James-Williamson comparison, I do think Zion’s game is closer to that played by the Pelicans’ Julius Randle.
Here are four reasons why.
#1. Randle makes his living by running the floor and the lane. With his strength, he bullies defenders while going to the cup. Zion does the very same things. In this year’s NCAA tournament, Zion is running the floor, getting spoon-fed the ball, and scoring. That sequence makes the game look easy.
NBA.com
#2: Randle is beginning to develop a three-point shot. ‘Developing’ is the keyword at 34.7%. Zion is doing the very same thing. He’s shooting the trey at 33.8%.
#3: Randle is not a very good shot-creator. He’s much more comfortable getting set up for scoring than coming off the dribble and creating his shot. Zion is a better shot-creator, but it’s not a dominant part of his game. He’s clumsy. And that deficiency leads to turnovers.
#4: Strength! Both players are strong. With that asset, they can power through would-be defenders and get to the basket seemingly at will.
Yes, Zion Williamson is a magnificent talent but, to me, he seems to be a better version of Julius Randle. That’s not a criticism, either. Randle is a very good pro baller. His ’18-19 numbers prove it: 21.2 ppg, 8.6 rpg, and 3.1 apg.
So, fans and media, let’s set the record straight. Stop comparing Zion to the incomparable Mr. James. Start being realistic. Zion-Julius comparisons make way more sense.
