2019 NBA Draft profile: Duke forward Zion Williamson

Weaknesses

Contrary to popular belief, Zion Williamson does have some noticeable flaws in his game. With as much power, speed and explosiveness that Williamson plays with, it’s hard not to ask questions about his long-term durability.

When drafting No. 1 overall, teams expect a foundational piece that will be apart of your franchise for the next 12-15 years,  but it’s hard not to see the similarities that Zion has to former No. 1 overall pick Larry Johnson.

Listed at 6’6″ and 250 pounds, LJ was touted as the next big thing coming out of college. Almost immediately, the Charlotte Hornets saw dividends investing in Johnson. By his second season in the NBA, he was viewed as an All-NBA level player.

But as time went on and the physical strain of an 82-game season started to show signs, Johnson wasn’t able to depend on his athleticism and flamed out of the league by his early 30s.

One has to ask if Zion will suffer a similar fate.

Williamson is said to weigh around 285 pounds, which would have him as the second-heaviest player in the NBA, behind the towering Boban Marjanovic (290 pounds), who is seven inches taller than Williamson.

Time will only tell if Zion will be able to sustain his explosive play style years into his career and have his body in peak condition to take on the rigors of an NBA season.

Not only is Zion’s durability a cause for concern, but one has to wonder if Williamson will ever develop a strong mid- or long range jump shot that’ll fall on a consistent basis. Current Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin relied on his athleticism for the first half of his career, then through developing his jump shot, was able to play at an even higher level regardless of his declining athleticism.