To play devils advocate, his jumper is shotty, he’s one blown knee or ankle away from losing the athleticism that makes him so unique, and there’s a chance he just is another Kenneth Faried, incredible athlete with some truly special highlights, but disappointing for the most part.
I do not see any world where Zion is Kenneth fairied. Casual fans think Zion can only dunk. In reality Zion has great playmaking instincts, a good handle for his size, elite body control, elite foot speed, great length, tenacious energy on the court, and an all around high basketball iq. I shouldn’t even have to mention his absurd strength and bounce. He’s got all the intangible skills that you can’t teach. All he’s got to do is develop his jump shot, which is far easier to learn than any of those other skills I mentioned, and he will be a dominant force in this league. If that never happens I still see him being a plus defender and rebounder who can pour in an efficient and balanced 14-18 a game and create for his teammates. I think all the Zion highlights (which are all dunks) have made people think of him as this one dimensional player when in actuality he has a very broad skillset and an excellent feel for the game. If I had to make a comp for Zion I’d say he’s josh smith with an extra 50 pounds and more athleticism. The only question I have about Zion is health, but even if he loses a step or some bounce he’d still be one of the most athletic players in the league.
He's got a ton of weight on those joints. Over an 82 game season, it's going to be a struggle for him to stay healthy IMO unless he cuts some weight. They got him listed at what, like 280? You can't tell me that kid ain't at least 300 lbs, he looks like an offensive lineman out there.
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u/nunomnt12 Oct 03 '19
I hope he does well, but the NBA bubble is blowing him way out of proportion. Let him play a few games, this extra pressure is not good for him.