2019 NBA Mock Draft: March Madness is NBA Draft crazy season
1. player. 27. . F. Duke. Zion Williamson
One of the things that has struck us most watching Williamson this season is the freshman’s incredible, tangible passion for basketball. Watching him and seeing how he handles himself on and off the court, you truly feel as if Williamson went to Duke with a prolific freshman class to be able to play with great teammates for a historic program. That stuff clearly has mattered to him. He gushes about Coach K and his teammates every chance he gets. The magnitude of Cameron Indoor Stadium and Duke history aren’t lost on him.
Next. The Step Back 2019 NBA Draft Big Board: March Update. dark
More than that, he also cares enough to make himself great. Williamson came to school as a dunking phenom. We all thought it was crazy that someone 6-foot-7 and 285 lbs. could physically lift off and slam down like he can. Right away, it became clear his true skill level was being hidden by high school highlight reels. Despite very little spacing at Duke and inconsistent teammates up and down the roster, Williamson turned himself from social media character to superstar.
He improved as a passer, a post scorer, and a rim protector (just to name a few) at Duke and will enter the league a much more polished player than we thought. He is a true generational prospect.
The Knicks need talent desperately. They gave up their best young player for the promise of double-max cap space. If they miss out on Williamson and miss out on the likes of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, things will get ugly in the Big Apple.