Will Zion Williamson live up to his hype?

Even before the NBA first overall draft pick Zion Williamson played a single game in the league, he had more excitement to his name than half of the active players in the NBA. His seasons at Duke University had already netted him spot 42 in ESPN’s top 100 player list. That’s higher than Klay Thompson, who is a five-time all-star and three-time NBA champion. 

But will Zion live up to his hype?

When you think of number 1 draft picks, they’re usually the most hyped players in the NBA, but in some situations these players do not live up to their expectations. In most people’s eyes Zion will not be a draft bust like a fellow player in the NBA, Markelle Fultz. 

Fultz was expected to succeed but didn’t. He was one of the best players to ever grace a university basketball court, but once he made it to the NBA everything went downhill. He was projected to be one of the best rookies ever but ended putting up the same stats as a reserve player. Could Zion’s hype turn out to be just as overblown?

Zion is being held at a very high stake for a rookie which may cause him to feel some pressure and fall apart. On the other hand, that same pressure could help him succeed majorly. Given how the players were talking about Zion, everyone from his association is fully convinced he will succeed through any type of pressure that comes his way.

Given how Zion is a player who drives to the basket, his size will help his playstyle making it easy to body by people with his 6’6 stature, which could help him put up a lot of points. It is said he’s going to play similar to a young LeBron.

LeBron in his youth was an all around player that usually scored 2’s and wouldn’t really try to be a flashy shooter. He’d use his speed and size to make his way to the rim, similar to Zion. One of the main things that make these players similar is their dunk tendency. LeBron James being a master of the dunk makes it hard to compare him to Zion but even with time it’ll still be unsure if Zion will ever make it to LeBron’s level. 

Zion recently has played for the Pelicans and it’s not hard to see that he will succeed in the league. Zion is a very good player in the paint and can play decent defence. Following that, if Zion Williamson was to add a deep shot to his game, he would be impeccable. He’s able to put up good 2’s from game to game but with a deep shot, his PPG will only go up, and in the end make him a better player overall.

Beyond the fan’s outlook on Zion, his association is more than excited to be calling him a player. His team believes he will be one of the best players. It’s too bad the Pelicans traded away Anthony Davis because having Williamson and Davis as a duo would’ve guaranteed them a spot in this year’s playoffs. The staff also believed that Zion will fit their offensive scheme perfectly. 

Overall, being in Zion’s shoes does not sound like an easy task given the fact that all of America believes he will be one of the best. Depending on how he is mentally and how confident he is in his game style it’ll affect how he is in the league. Zion is a very diverse player in the paint, he is a slashing power forward who can posterize the defense. 

There has been a lot of recent media attention regarding Zion, the media and Pelicans both believe Zion will overall be worth the first round pick. Following that, if the Pelicans association was to train Zion and practice his 3-point shooting, Zion Williamson could be a hall of famer and a future MVP for many years to come.  

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