Road to Zion

mafra said:

Zion’s second college game:


27 points
16 boards
6 blocks
4 assists
11-14 from the field

His game isn’t based just on his size/athleticism.... he can shoot, has vision, can pass... he can do it all.

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mafra said:

21-9-2 for Zion (10-12 shooting) in third collegiate game.

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tiger0330 said:

The guy is shooting like between 80-90% FG% in 3 games right?

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mafra said:

11-13, 11-14, 10-12 = 32-39 on the season. And they ain’t all dunks. People who claim he’ll struggle playing “against men his own size” obviously have never watched him play.

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tiger0330 said:

82%. Among all the skills the guy has, his motor is unreal also.

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mafra said:

21-9-2 for Zion (10-12 shooting) in third collegiate game.

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Zion Williamson is shooting a remarkable 86.1 percent from 2-point range, wowing fans and NBA scouts alike with his powerful explosiveness and acrobatic finishes.

There's no question that Williamson's affinity to tear down the rim has played a huge role in his efficiency. Eight of his 31 field goals inside the arc have been dunks assisted by his teammates -- but what about the other 23 makes? How is it that a 6-foot-6, 280-pound forward with only three made jumpers to his name is scoring at such a historically efficient rate?


The answer lies in Williamson's brilliance with the ball, namely his ability to create high-percentage offense in the half court without needing the threat of a jump shot to set the table. The 18-year-old phenom has the slick dribble moves, polished footwork, powerful quickness and unique body control necessary to make even the most adept defenders look silly.

So, what are Zion's go-to moves that make him such an effective shot-creator? And will they work at the next level?

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1. Return of the jump stop

Few players in the basketball world use the jump stop as effectively as Williamson. A traditional jump stop isn't even taught by some modern coaches -- at least to guards, as the ability to whip one-handed, live-dribble passes on the move is at a premium. Coming to a complete stop in traffic takes away that option.
But no other players can explode to the rim with this kind of force off a jump stop. For the Duke freshman, it's a devastating move given his ability to shed tackles and cover a tremendous amount of ground both going north-south and east-west before elevating:

Williamson unleashes his lethal, lateral jump stop in transition, evading backpedaling defenders by hopping from left to right, turning sideways to get his left shoulder to the rim before leaping, readjusting his body and finishing with his left hand. He has Eurosteps as well, but it's Williamson's jump stop at his size that makes him such a force when he catches on the wing in transition.
In the half court, he knifes through defenders with these hop steps as well. Once he gets to a clear launching pad, even the most effective rim protectors are toast:


If Williamson gets by his initial defender on these aggressive left-hand drives, he uses hop steps as a counter, sweeping through the air back to his right rather than having to put the ball on the floor in traffic. He does an outstanding job of maintaining balance in a crowd to finish with touch shots from all different angles.
Jump stops are also a great way for Williamson to brace for contact, helping him explode right to the front of the rim rather than fading away. A move like this can be predictable at the highest level, but because of just how strong and explosive Williamson is -- along with the benefits of NBA spacing -- his powerful jump stops should continue to wreak havoc on even some of the best defenses.

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2. Low-to-ground drives and counters

On the wing or the midpost, Williamson is a load out of the triple-threat position. He generally sets defenders up with jabs before ripping through to his left hand and pushing off his back left foot while dipping his shoulder well below the chest of his defender.


Williamson's first step is fast and powerful, and his ability to play with his chest almost parallel to the ground is unique for a player that size. It's one of the keys to his slashing attack from a standstill. Either set or off a live dribble, Williamson is hard to stop getting to that left hand, playing angles and using leverage to fend off smaller defenders:


When that hard left-hand drive is taken away, Williamson generally counters with left-to-right behind-the-back dribbles -- one of his favorite moves in the half court. He showcases nimble footwork and a tight handle, changing directions in a pinch. Smaller defenders can't match his strength, and bigs can't stay in front, making him a near impossible cover.
While somewhat predictable and easier to stop with NBA-level athletes, these behind-the-back counters are crisp -- simple yet effective, with little wasted movement:


3. Change-of-pace series

What makes Zion unique is his ability to shift gears on a dime. His change-of-pace series is quite advanced. The force at which he generates these moves is something we haven't seen, looking like he's shot out of a cannon to the rim at times.
Here's a close look at how rapidly he's able to shift gears:


He takes one hang dribble well beyond the NBA 3-point line then kicks it into high gear in the blink of an eye, pushing off that back left foot with a big right-leg step and needing only one dribble to get all the way to the rim. Just a remarkable display of quickness, power and stride length that figures to be a terror if Williamson is defended by NBA bigs.
While a left-hand dominant finisher, he's really comfortable attacking to his right. He regularly rocks opponents to sleep with relaxed, high dribbles before shooting off that left foot, getting low to the ground and jolting toward the rim:

Williamson freezes defenders with hard in-and-out dribbles as well. He has as much natural wiggle with the ball as we've ever seen from a 280-pounder:


The most unstoppable of all might be Williamson's change-of-pace crossover, which has a similar feel to the move Ben Simmons so often breaks out. Zion leaves defenders in their tracks by walking the ball up casually before suddenly crossing over, once again exploding off the back foot and either gathering with a jump stop or striding it out off one foot.
It's rare to see freakish leapers who are equally effective going off his right, left or both feet, but Williamson is truly an outlier in every sense of the word.

It's one thing to change speeds at that size, but to then counter with an ultra-fast change of direction is rare.


If Williamson is ever able to add any semblance of a pull-up game, he'll be unguardable. Even without the jumper, Williamson projects as a high-level shot-creator who can play angles. Given the fact that he's likely to start games at the 4 and finish some as a small-ball 5 in the NBA, there are only a handful of defenders who can even try to match his physicality and speed.
His passing ability will also open up driving lanes, as defenders will be less inclined to help off their man if they know it'll result in an open lob or an uncontested 3. Shooting isn't the only way to space the floor, and Williamson's combination of ball-handling, explosiveness and vision figure to make him a challenging cover, even in the NBA.



4. Post footwork

Williamson can punish both switches and big post defenders alike. He doesn't have a turnaround game or even traditional jump hooks, but he's agile and deliberate with every move, regularly beating opponents to the spot with aggressive drop steps to his right shoulder:

His post footwork is tremendous, as he generally wraps his right foot around his defenders' outside leg, gets low to the ground as he turns quickly and then explodes to the rim off that left foot as it swings around and hits the hardwood. He's able to cover a ton of ground with those drop steps, and he does a great job of contorting his body to lead with his outside foot rather than staying parallel and shooting a deeper jump hook. He can lean into touch finishes or drop in more basic short-rangers, but it's his sharp footwork that sets it all up.


Williamson would benefit from adding a counter move, as he's right-shoulder dominant and NBA defenders are likely to pick up on his tendencies, but that shouldn't take him long. We haven't even seen Williamson operate from the midpost all that often, which is where he figures to be a nightmare cover.
The real secret to all of Williamson's shot creation lies in his footwork, which is never more evident than in the post.





What does this mean at the next level?

We so often think of shot creation as a player's ability to go get to a pull-up jumper at will. That's certainly the case for most star NBA players. Would James Harden be such an isolation killer if he didn't have his patented step-back to get defenders leaning?
But Zion is the exception to the rule. If defenders press up on him, he's sure-handed enough with the ball to blow by them. If help defenders slide over, he can pick teams apart with his passing. Then if defenders try to give him space, Williamson can get downhill with a full head of steam. As we see with Ben Simmons, giving players so physically gifted a cushion doesn't always work.

Issues may arise, especially in the playoffs if there are other non-shooters on the floor, but Williamson has a much better chance of becoming at least a capable standstill and pull-up shooter than Simmons ever did. If Zion can ever start rising into these looks regularly, the rest of the NBA is in serious trouble:

But Williamson is the draft's most dynamic shot creator anyway, even without the threat of a jumper. With a No. 1 pick, teams are looking for a player who can go get a bucket in the fourth quarter of a playoff game -- late clock, shrunken floor, against a switch or an all-NBA defender. Zion has shown he can do exactly that.

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KNICKS MOB said:

Niceee :lol: :lol:

I've had this title in my head since 2005 :afro:

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RunningJumper said:

Lol Just saw this post now. Awesome.

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