The case for Zion at #1

For Zion it’s all about improving his shot. He has the physical tools to be great at everything else, but especially in today’s NBA if a guy can’t shoot he’s a liability. Lucky for him he has the tools that can’t be taught and shooting can improve, but some guys just never get their shot right.

IMO Barrett is a lock for number one. With all the talent Duke has he doesn’t have to have a big year stat wise, a la Anthony Davis. Also what Barrett did for Canada against the USA will always be a factor.

I don’t see Zion slipping out of the top 5. Too much potential.

i see some Julius Randle in him with better ball handling. Athletic guys who can bring the ball up and go coast to coast. Like Randle, he needs to improve his shooting. He is more of a 3 than Randle but with his size (weight), he needs to play bully ball inside and play the 4. I hope he avoids injuries to not suffer the Anthony Bennett weight-gaining program

 If I was picking #1 I’d take Zion no doubt…with an ideal #1, you want a player with potential superstar talent AND someone who’ll immediately put butts in the seats. He hits both those. I don’t even like the LeBron comparisons, he’s something completely different…not nearly as skilled but possibly even more powerful and bouncier at the same stage

I dont see him putting up huge numbers at Duke, maybe 15-7-3 but he’ll show flashes of being able to completely dominate on both ends. The lack of jumpshot doesn’t bother me, as he’s such a versatile player that he can positively affect the game without it, a la Ben Simmons, but i’m sure by the the end of this season it’ll be much improved

People weren’t scared off by Anthony Bennett’s physique.  There were scared away by his laziness.  He could easily be a rotation player in the NBA.

 He is a mix between Julius Randle and Josh Smith.  Fun to watch but won’t make a big enough impact on the league to draft number one.  Who is he defending.  I don’t see lateral quickness to guard 3’s and he is undersized to bang in the post.  Zion will be a top 5 pick but I can’t take him first overall. He doesn’t have a position.  I bet he is the third Duke player drafted.  I would bet all my points on that.

 No way I’d take him first if the draft were held today. He just hasn’t played against strong enough competition yet for me to really get a feel for how his game will translate when he can’t just rely on raw athleticism. We all know he can bully and jump over people, but can he initiate the offense and make the correct read out of double teams? Can he consistently make outside shots? Will he give maximum effort on defense and can he defend wing players? There are just too many questions right now. Hopefully, once we get into the season some of these things will become more clear.

It is ok to wait for the season to play out. Duke plays what appears to be a stacked schedule. If you just go off Jeff Goodman’s preseason top 25 (I went looking for a preseason top 25), Duke plays #1 Kentucky to open in Indianapolis, potentially #4 Gonzaga in a Maui final, #5 Virginia twice, #7 UNC twice, possibly #10 Auburn in a Maui semi-final (so possibly three top ten opponents in the first few weeks), @ #13 Va Tech, #15 Syracuse twice, host #20 Indiana, and @ #23 Notre Dame. Zion will get tested. All the Duke prospects will get tested. Comparing anyone to LeBron is absurd. I tend to believe that he will not dominate, but will make Duke thoroughly intriguing all year.

 I’d still have RJ as a clear number 1 but with him and Zion on the same Duke team then if Zion did outplay him I could see the logic of him going number 1. I see his downside as being a Utah level Paul Millsap so I think he’ll be a fairly solid pick. Personally I agree he’ll go top 5 and could easily go top 3 but I still have RJ ahead of him and Sekou Doumbouya is the wildcard.

 I think if he shows any playmaking ability or point forward potentially then he will without a doubt be a top 3 or 4 pick. I like Barrett, Little and even Reddish over him rn, but if Simmons got picked first i don’t see a way Zion slips past the top 5 if he proves he can be a ball handler.