New Orleans Pelicans: Player comparisons for Zion Williamson’s ceiling

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has had no trouble adapting to the NBA game, and his game reminds us of a few dominant players before him.

The New Orleans Pelicans 19-year-old stud Zion Williamson has played just 17 games so far in his NBA career and seems to improve each time he steps on the court. We don’t have a massive sample size to go off of, but we will try to make some reasonable player comparisons. Williamson is unlike any player we’ve ever seen, but there are some similarities between his game and certain dominant players from the past.

A name that has been thrown around as a comparison for Williamson is Charles Barkley. Barkley was a hyper-athletic big man who was a little on the short side but made up for it by throwing his big body around. Zion is a couple of inches taller at 6’6″, 30 pounds heavier at 284 lbs, and more explosive. From a physical standpoint, Williamson is a bit like Charles Barkley 2.0.

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers

However, Charles Barkley was one of the most skilled big men of all time. He had incredible footwork, a solid shooting stroke, and excellent court vision. Zion is so athletic that he hasn’t had to develop those aspects of his game.

Zion Williamson’s ceiling is higher than Barkley’s, but he has a ton of work to do before he can get there. That being said, if Zion can learn to run an offense out of the high post and develop his handle and shot, he could become one of the best players of all time.

Another comparison for Zion Williamson is Larry Johnson. Larry Johnson was built like Zion and had unbelievable athleticism for his size. But for as good of a career as Larry Johnson had, he’s pretty much the worst-case outcome for Williamson.

Johnson coasted off of his athleticism early in his career and averaged 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists through his first 5 seasons. Unfortunately, injuries and declining athleticism reduced him to role-player status. Unlike the other guys on this list, he never quite developed his skills enough to succeed without uncanny athleticism.

The final player that comes to mind when I think of Zion Williamson is an early-career Blake Griffin. Blake is a little taller than Williamson and entered the league as more of a traditional big, but in his early days, he could jump out of the gym. In Griffin’s first four seasons he averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, and nearly all of his points came in the paint.

As Blake Griffin’s athleticism began to decline after a string of injuries, he adjusted his game and became an All-NBA player for the Detroit Pistons. Last season Griffin averaged 25 points, seven rebounds, and nearly five and a half assists.

If Griffin’s athleticism was close to what it was as a rookie last year, he probably would’ve been an MVP candidate. And that seems to be the ceiling for Williamson, MVP awards. If Zion Williamson can improve his handle, shot, and decision-making (2.2 assists to 2.7 turnovers), he’ll become one of the greatest players of all time.

If he can’t make those improvements, he should at least be a perennial All-Star for the New Orleans Pelicans.