Once upon a time, Zion Williamson rookie cards are the grail every collector was chasing in the market. From his base cards to the high-end offerings, these cards of the New Orleans Pelicans' young star were a must-have at least a year ago. But since missing a significant amount of time due to injuries, his stock has dropped, both in value and demand.
And while there isn't any surefire sign that his career is over, the fear of losing Williamson's prime to injuries has caused some to focus their money on other options, such as Luka Doncic or Ja Morant rookie cards. this begs the question of whether now is the right time to drop Williamson's basketball cards or not.
The outlook on Zion Williamson
In his first season in the NBA, Williamson just managed to play 24 games as a starter for New Orleans. In those contests, the power forward averaged 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 27.8 minutes per game. He was also connecting 59% of his shots from two and 42% from beyond the arc, which is great from an efficiency perspective.
But while injuries derailed his first year in the league, Williamson would go on to have a much better sophomore campaign last season. In the 61 games he played, the 6'6″ star increased his points per game to 27 while shooting an insane field goal rate of 61%. He would also notch 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in the 33.2 minutes he spent on the court. These numbers and the impact Williamson had on the court for the Pels were more than enough to land him in his first All-Star game appearance as a starter for Team Durant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgW-kiQxsEw
With that kind of momentum built during his second year in the NBA, collectors were more than excited about the potential he can show in his third campaign. Turns out, the expectation hasn't been met at all. Thanks to a foot injury suffered during the offseason, Williamson remains out of the lineup for the foreseeable future. The confusing statements from the Pelicans' front office and the seemingly various ways they're mishandling the situation aren't doing the All-Star forward any favors.
Zion Williamson was supposed to return to practice in December, but he began experiencing soreness in his right foot, per https://t.co/VkatKRyY6a
“It is possible he will need a second surgery on his right foot, sources said, but nothing has been decided.” pic.twitter.com/CXDZDnmo6r
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) February 16, 2022
This injury-filled narrative has caused many in the hobby to sour on Zion Williamson rookie cards, especially those who purchased his stock at the peak of its value. While this is understandable, nothing is truly lost yet with it comes to the Pelicans' young star. And although there are a lot of fans comparing him to what Greg Oden went through in his career, there's a different player who's more comparable to him.
When it comes to Oden, the lingering issue he had was a mismatch between the length of his feet. This issue has led to various injuries that prevented him from contributing on the court. And even when the former number one pick did, Oden wasn't as stellar as everyone expected before he was drafted.
Williamson, for his part, is not suffering from the same issue Oden did. In this case, the closest player to compare him with is the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid. Early in his career, the big man encountered various foot injuries that severely limited his playing time. It took several seasons before Embiid overcame these injuries to the dominant All-Star he is today.
If Williamson manages to have the same trajectory as Embiid's career, there will be some sort of hope for his stock to bounce back in the market. But first, he also needs to keep his weight down and remain consistent in improving. In the event the Pelicans' star does this, he can return to form, get back on the court, and have that chance to be deserving of the number one pick almost three years ago.
The state of Zion Williamson rookie cards
Williamson's ongoing battle with injuries hasn't done any favors to his stock in the card market. But while that's the case at this point in time, it really isn't the scary drop most in the hobby thought it to be.
This three-month graph of Williamson's PSA 10 Base Prizm rookie card by Card Ladder shows that the value from late last year dropped from $263 to $199. All things considered, that's just a 24.17% drop from where it previously was. This can only mean that the market is in a waiting mode on the All-Star forward for any sign of good news regarding his health.
On the other hand, if another serious injury occurs or his weight gets in the way, Williamson's stock can be severely affected. In any case, collectors are now in a frustrating position to wait for official news or any sign of development from the Pelicans' front office or from Williamson himself.
The verdict on Zion Williamson rookie cards
The good news here is there is a chance Williamson won't take the Greg Oden road and go the way Embiid's career did during the past few years. The bad news is that most pictures of the young forward aren't doing his reputation any good. What he needs to accomplish in the immediate future is rehab that problematic foot of his, transform that fat into muscle, and condition his body back to an acceptable level.
If he manages to do that, there's a good chance those Zion Williamson rookie cards can come close to where they used to be. But as of this moment, collectors are advised to be careful in investing in his stock. Just make sure not to splurge on his cards in the event things go sideways. And in case things pan out for him, those who purchased during this dip will potentially make a good profit sometime next season.
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