Zion Williamson has drawn plenty of comparisons, despite being considered one of the very few generational talents that only come along every few years in the NBA. Those he's compared to have very unique skills, as Draymond Green, Ben Simmons, Charles Barkley, Blake Griffin, and Julius Randle are the five players he's drawn recent similarities with, according to ESPN's Mike Schmitz and Kirk Goldsberry.
Draymond Green:
Zion's defensive versatility can be one that eventually gets to Draymond Green levels, as his 6-foot-7 frame could over time match the skills of the former Defensive Player of the Year. Implementing quick feet and some disciplined defensive positioning, along with spacial awareness could make him an even deadlier weapon, as his sheer strength and athleticism could make him an absolute eraser around the rim.
Ben Simmons:
Simmons ranked fourth in effective field goal percentage among finishers in transition 6-foot-6 or above, below Pascal Siakam, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant.
Williamson possesses the downhill speed and great length stride to punish opponents on the break, and his ruthless athleticism will make for several posters, should a player be foolish enough to give him a window to finish with a thunderous dunk.
Charles Barkley:
Barkley is perhaps the legendary poster boy for undersized big men and rightfully so. The Hall of Famer hauled in a massive 16.7 rebounds per game during 1986-87, amassing a 24.8 defensive rebounding percentage and a 20.8 total rebounding percentage — numbers way above any 20-point scorer 6-foot-8 or shorter that season.
At 6-foot-7 and 285 pounds, Zion pulled down 8.9 rebounds in 30 minutes per game playing in an NBA-laden roster, which would translate to 10.7 boards per 36 minutes. Most impressively, the South Carolina native snatched 3.5 offensive rebounds per game, which would translate to an insane 4.2 per 36, which would be the fourth-best mark in the NBA today and more than double that of any other player at his height.
Blake Griffin:
The comparison with Griffin is clear, much like the Oklahoma standout, Williamson has the sky-defying jumping ability only seen as recently as the former No. 1 pick showed back in 2009.
Ten years later, Williamson can put a new and improved display by jumping off one or two feet and devastating opponents with a quick second jump, which should bode well for his inside finishing.
Julius Randle:
Much like Randle when first breaking into the NBA, Williamson is an athletic monster that has yet to refine his shooting ability. Following those same footsteps, he must rely on his ability to score inside and do his damage on post-ups and cutting to the heart of the basket.
Williamson must be efficient with the ball on the block and punish opponents with his big body (only five pounds lighter than the heaviest NBA player in Philly's Boban Marjanovic). If he can do so, there is no reason why he shouldn't tease scoring in the 20s in his rookie season.
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