Zion Williamson is the highly touted 6’7″ four-star prospect that has been dominating college basketball. His play has gotten Zion endorsements from Nike, Adidas, Gatorade and more despite concerns about his health after he had a heart scare at Duke’s practice earlier this month. Zion continues to impress as one of the best players in America who will likely be chosen first overall by an NBA team next season
Zion Williamson, a star player for the Duke Blue Devils is getting some attention from NBA executives despite growing health concerns. Zion has been diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome which can lead to serious injury or death. Read more in detail here: how tall is zion williamson.
The health and weight of New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson are among the most talked-about subjects heading into the 2021-22 season. As Pels supporters anxiously anticipate his return to the court, negativity seemed to surround the 2019 No. 1 overall choice at every step. While the negative perception of Williamson lingers, NBA officials recently offered him an unexpected endorsement, which says much about his generational skill.
Zion Williamson is still out with a foot ailment, but the chatter about his body is becoming louder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMoqp BzDzY
Despite the fact that Zion Williamson had surgery on his right foot over the summer, the Pelicans had him penciled in to start the 2021-22 season.
Whether it’s foolish or not, David Griffin, the team’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, voiced confidence in Zion’s availability throughout the preseason. Williamson, he asserted, would be ready for Opening Night. That was never the case. The Pelicans don’t know when their star forward will be back.
Williamson received further tests on his damaged foot, but the city of New Orleans stated it might be a few weeks before a schedule is determined. Meanwhile, the spotlight has switched to Zion’s physical appearance.
Several former NBA players have weighed in on Williamson’s weight in recent days, after rumors that he (at one time) weighed in at over 300 pounds while rehabbing. Among them are Walt Frazier and Charles Barkley, to name a few.
During his debut season, Zion was out for many months due to a knee injury. He’s battling with yet another health setback, and there’s a lot of speculation about his playing form.
Despite the health concerns, NBA insiders believe the Pelicans made the best decision in 2019.
NBA execs still prefer Williamson to a rising star. Morant, Ja
The top two picks in the 2019 NBA Draft were a very obvious 1-2. The consensus No. 1 choice was Williamson, with former Murray State standout Ja Morant quickly separating himself as the No. 2 pick.
Zion and Ja were the first and second place finishers, respectively. However, while Williamson’s durability continues to be a concern, Morant is swiftly advancing to superstar status.
This season, the Memphis Grizzlies point guard is playing at an MVP level. Morant is averaging 28.7 points, 7.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds through seven games. On a career-high 5.6 attempts per game, he’s shooting over 52 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Despite Morant’s third-year improvement, NBA execs admit they would not have passed on Williamson in 2019.
Marc Stein, a Substack writer and former New York Times columnist, polled ten league executives to see whether they’d prefer Ja to Zion. Despite this, nine people voted for Williamson.
It simply goes to demonstrate how brilliant Zion is when he’s in good condition. He was named to his first All-Star squad last season, averaging 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while ranking fourth in the NBA in player efficiency rate (PER) and tenth in value over replacement player (VORP).
The vitality of Zion is unrivaled. Late in the 2020-21 season, he also showed an aptitude for playing point forward, which might open a completely new aspect of his game.
Despite this, the Williamson-Morant discussion is a valid one, given the significance of great guards in today’s NBA.
Is it better to be Zion or Ja? Let the arguments begin.
On January 31, 2020, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Zion Williamson and Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies stand on the floor during an NBA game at Smoothie King Center. | Getty Images/Sean Gardner
The current NBA places a premium on playmaking guards who can score and elevate their respective teams. Is it possible that Morant would have been a better No. 1 choice in 2019? Of course, hindsight is 20/20. However, there are a few points worth mentioning.
Morant first guided the Grizzlies to the brink of the playoffs in his debut season before guiding Memphis through the play-in round and into the regular season. Furthermore, for all the hype about Williamson’s combination of size and athleticism, Morant’s combination of athleticism and skill is just as impressive.
Ja may go all out for the basket or finish with a clever mix of floaters and runners. Morant takes his time in the pick-and-roll, analyzing his options and waits for passing lanes to open before making the correct basketball move. If his increased effectiveness from the three-point line is genuine, the sky is the limit for him.
Despite NBA trends and Morant’s development, it’s difficult to dismiss Zion. When he was named the Pelicans’ main ballhandler last season, he became an unstoppable force, going downhill and scoring easily in pick-and-rolls or finding rim-runners and shooters for clear chances at the basket or on the perimeter. If Williamson can only get back on the court, he has tremendous potential.
Executives continue to believe in Zion’s abilities. New Orleans can only hope that he avoids the current durability concerns and returns to the floor in a timely manner.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
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Zion Williamson is a basketball player who has been in the news recently. He was given a surprising endorsement by NBA executives despite growing health concerns. Reference: zion williamson birthday.
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