Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans produced one of the most incredible statistical seasons in NCAA Men’s Basketball history last season with the Duke Blue Devils.
Combining his astonishing stats with some of the most striking highlights in recent memory made Zion an easy choice for the #1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Despite all of his collegiate success, Williamson actually believes he might be able to put up better numbers in the NBA due to the improve spacing that exists in the league.
According to a story on Italian website Gazzetta by Simone Sandri, Zion said this about what level of success he might experience in his rookie season:
“In fact, I think I’ll be able to express myself better in the NBA than in the NCAA. It will be much more difficult for defenders to double-team me, because in the NBA everyone can punish opponents from the perimeter, and you can't clog the paint as easily; this will allow me to attack the basket in a more fluid way. I really think I can give my best.”
Zion’s best was certainly on display for much of the 2018-19 college basketball season, as the 19-year-old (who just turned 19 in July) swept almost all of the postseason college awards while leading the nation in offensive and defensive rating, two-point field goal percentage and true shooting percentage combined with the highest recorded player efficiency rating in Sports Reference’s database (40.8).
The Pelicans should be a fascinating team next season, and Zion Williamson is a big reason why.
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