Coming out of college, many viewed Zion Williamson as the next face of the NBA. With the physique of Charles Barkley, bounce of Vince Carter, and rebounding ability of Dennis Rodman, no one knows how high Zion’s ceiling is. Unfortunatley for the NBA, Zion’s rookie season did not pan out like anyone expected.
In a preseason game, Zion damaged his meniscus, putting him out for 3 months. While Zion was recovering, his rookie counterpart and former AAU teammate, Ja Morant was leading rookies in points and assists per game. Morant easily separated himself from the pack while leading a Grizzlies team positioned to make the Playoffs in the Western Conference. Zion finally laced them up on January 22nd against the San Antonio Spurs. Williamson put on a show, including a 17-consecutive point stretch in the fourth quarter and a 22-point debut.
It seemed like Zion was starting to come into his own right before Commissioner Silver postponed league play. At that point in time, Zion’s Pelicans were gaining ground in the West, trailing the eighth-seeded Grizzlies by only 3.5 games. Without any extra time for Zion to change the narrative, Morant’s ability to take a lottery team and turn them into a Playoff team, essentially locked up Rookie of the Year honors.
Now in an extended offseason, Zion’s fitness and conditioning will become more important than ever. Heavily criticized at the Draft Combine, Williamson’s weight of 284 lbs already makes him the third heaviest player in the NBA. If Zion doesn’t continue to train and condition at the same level as if he had access to NBA training resources, his game could suffer a severe setback.