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New Orleans Pelicans All-Star Zion Williamson has already been compared to a lot of great players early in his career. But as far as absurd comparisons go, Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle might have offered the most bizarre one yet.
After watching Williamson up close in the Mavs' 103-112 loss to the Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Saturday, Carlisle likened the 20-year-old athletic freak to Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O'Neal with a point guard's skill set.
"This is a Shaquille O'Neal type force of nature with a point guard skillset." Mavs coach Rick Carlisle on Zion
— Rod Walker (@RodWalkerNola) March 28, 2021
Sure, the Shaq comparisons are on point given Zion is already one of the most powerful players in the league today. The way he uses his nuclear athleticism to dominate the competition is truly Shaq-like. The Diesel himself would be impressed.
But that point guard take about Williamson's game may be a bit too far-fetched. Sure, Zion is an unselfish passer who can set up his teammates from time to time, but that's not really a strong suit for him right now.
The NOLA star did dish out six dimes against the Mavs on Saturday, so maybe Carlisle was pertaining to that. Williamson laid waste to Dallas's hapless defense, torching them for 38 points on 13-for-20 shooting from the field along with five boards in 35 minutes.
Pels head coach Stan Van Gundy also ran a lot of his team's offensive sets through the former Duke star, so he also got a lot of hockey assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker also flourished with 20 points, while Williamson's fellow All-Star Brandon Ingram added 19 points.
Zion Williamson, meanwhile, is only in his second year in the league and will get a lot more opportunities to further expand his game. But as far as Carlisle is concerned, he's already a darn good playmaker at this stage.
