New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson’s career similar to other NBA star

Although very early in his young career, New Orleans Pelicans’ rookie phenom Zion Williamson is showing similarities to that of another NBA star.

Zion Williamson has undoubtedly exceeded the hype surrounding him in the 19 games he played this season for the New Orleans Pelicans. As captivating to watch as he is, the 20-year-old will always find himself plagued by questions regarding his health.

Williamson has already had his fair share of injuries, most notably a torn meniscus that forced him to remain on the sidelines for 45 games to begin the season. Set to play in the NBA’s restart, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Zion left the Orlando campus to attend a family matter, but also that he was dealing with leg cramps that caused him to miss portions of previous practices.

Leg cramping might not seem like a significant issue, but with injury concerns piling up for Williamson, the forward is drawing comparisons to Derrick Rose. As most remember, Rose was also a former No.1 overall draft selection and took the league by storm upon his debut with the Chicago Bulls. After collecting the NBA’s MVP award at a record-setting 22-years-old, Rose seemed destined for greatness. Then the injuries began to pile up, and the explosive athletically gifted player he was never returned to its peak

Rose has unquestionably bounced back with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons after injuries nearly forced him to retire in 2017. Regardless, he was never the same Derrick Rose, who once had audiences believing he was the second coming of Michael Jordan for the Chicago Bulls all those years ago.

Given how much these players rely on their athleticism and the injuries it bred, these similarities between Derrick Rose and Zion Williamson have heated up. Rose even offered the rookie some advice back in November on how to battle through the adversity of injury. Going through more than his fair share of injuries, Rose shared how Zion should not overlook the importance of his weight and diet.

Via Will Perdue of NBC Sports Chicago:

“It all came down to my weight. Nobody said anything about my weight. I think I was around 212 or 214 (pounds) at the time. I was too heavy. It was the little things. I had to watch my diet. Once I watched my diet, I was fine. That was something I didn’t have to worry about.”

Despite Williamson’s early meniscus tear, something that Rose himself battled, the 2011 league MVP thinks Zion will bounce back.

“But Zion is in his own lane. Just being that heavy, playing the way that he plays, he’s explosive. He’s an athlete I think nobody never saw before. His path is going to be totally different than mine, you know what I mean? He has to, for one, learn the league. I had a chance to learn the league, play through my mistakes and I got injured Year 3 or 4. He got injured right away. So he has to learn his body right away, learn the league, learn what his skills are, work on his skills.”

As Rose alluded to, Williamson’s weight has always been a significant concern regarding his health and if he can maintain his playstyle with such a build. Zion was listed at 285 pounds this season, which made him the third heaviest player in the league, behind Tacko Fall of the Boston Celtics and Boban Marjanovic of the Dallas Mavericks. However, the most eye-popping detail is that while Fall and Marjanovic are listed at 7’6″ and 7’3″, respectively, Zion is a mere 6’6″.

Relying heavily on his athleticism to throw down thunderous dunks and block shots into the fourth row is certainly a daunting task with such a unique build. However, Williamson certainly showcased he could do it at a high-level. In his 19 games this season, Zion averaged 23.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game for the Pelicans.

It appears that Williamson may have taken some of Rose’s advice to heart, as he used his quarantine to change his body drastically. The internet went up in flames when the Pelicans tweeted a picture of Williamson in the gym, somehow looking more muscular than he had before the season halted in March. Some say that the rookie shed 25 pounds of fat and put on 10 pounds of “lean, explosive, dynamic muscle.”

This body change could undoubtedly be frightening for the rest of the NBA, but Williamson and the Pelicans need to be cautious about his health moving forward. God forbid this young phenom’s career takes a similar turn as Derrick Rose’s did, but only time will tell.

Aside from the narrative, Rose and Williamson have shown some thought-provoking similarities within their stats. For example, according to ESPN Stats & Info, Williamson’s 29 points back in the preseason were the most by a No. 1 overall pick since Rose had 30 points in 2008. Even before he took the court as an NBA player, Williamson took over Rose’s spot as the last college freshman to total over 100 points in the NCAA tournament.

Hopefully, this is all just a bump in the road in Williamson’s young career. Because right now, he appears destined for the same type of greatness Rose once was.