Zion claims to have outdone or outlasted Greg Oden.
Zion Williamson was the most hyped high
school kid since LeBron James. The hottest first-round draft pick since Derrick
Rose. The biggest first-round draft pick in history, not counting Michael
Olowokandi, who broke all the scales. The kid from small-town Salisbury was
expected to change not just the Pelicans franchise, but the entire league. But
so far, Zion is just the crispest player in the modern NBA since Greg Oden.
150 pounds is too much.
Williamson and Oden do have a lot in common. Both were first-round draft picks (12 years apart), both absolutely dominated at the high school level. Zion's childhood career seems to have been even cooler, but that has more to do with the rise of social media and universal media attention. Greg completely missed his first season in the NBA, Zion didn't play for the first three months.
But most importantly, both have been pretty
negligent about their recoveries. Oden paid for it with a nearly derailed
career, playing just one full season in Portland. Zion could repeat that
scenario if he doesn't get his head on straight, namely not controlling his
weight. Williamson is a big guy as it is (198 cm, 129 kg), but he gets to 150
kg during his recovery. That's the mark he reached when he was getting ready to
make his NBA debut, and he played his first game in the league when he weighed
140 pounds. He started last season at 130 pounds, but when he returned to the
"bubble" in Orlando in July, he added 13 pounds. Of course, that's
unacceptable for a pro.
- You guys see, Zion has put on weight.
Hell, he needs to lose weight. He's 21 years old and he's already got this
problem with these extra pounds," legendary Knicks guard and Hall of Fame
member Walt Frazier said recently.
All the great centers - Hakeem Olajivon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson - stayed in shape until the end of their careers. Derek Coleman, Larry Johnson, Chris Webber neglected it and ended up failing to reach their huge potential. Joe Smith, Elton Brand, and Kwame Brown don't really want to be mentioned here.
That said, no one can say that Zion doesn't
have the makings of a superstar. Only 94 players in NBA history have averaged
at least 20 points per game in their second season. Williamson averages 27
points, the eighth-highest total last season. Plus, he leads the NBA in
field-goal percentage (62.2 percent).
Blake Griffin's beaten path.
That compares Zion to six NBA All-Star Game
participant Blake Griffin. Both of them had incredible dunks from an early age.
From the age of 15, they were showing the kind of dunk that amazed people all
over the world. People of that size had never dunked like that before.
Both ended up with identical injuries. And it makes sense. When you land after such an incredible jump, your knees will be the first to suffer (Williamson already had a meniscus tear in 2019). And if Zion doesn't lose weight, his problems will only get worse and injuries will become even more frequent. Though how much more frequent: In two seasons, he's only played 59% of the Pelicans' games. Not much for a leader.
- Look, we've been talking about basketball
for 100 years, and there's not a thing left in this sport that hasn't been
studied," NBA legend and two-time Olympic gold medalist Charles Barkley
says on his program. - If he's around 130 pounds, he'll be able to stay healthy
and benefit the team. If not, he'll be on the injured list forever. The best
advice in my basketball career was given to me by Moses Malone. He said:
"Chuck, you're fat and lazy. You need to lose 50 pounds (22.7 kg)." I
thought about it and really started chasing the weight. I weighed about 132
pounds and ended up at 113 pounds. I didn't believe my body could do it, but I
did it... Yeah, I gave up sweets, fast food and sodas, but I got my career
back. Also, Pelicans management should sit down with Zayon and ask him,
"At what weight will you stay as explosive and strong?" Consult with
experts on that question. Because you have to be comfortable in your body,
especially when you have at least 80 games in a season. I believe a guy can get
over himself and really become a superstar.
Williamson hasn't hit the floor yet this
season (after having surgery on his foot) and his team has lost six of seven
games. Should Pelicans fans forget about the playoffs again?
