Welcome to the NBA Hangover. We jot down NBA stuff mostly from last night that we want to talk about. Check it out.
Oh, my goodness. Look at this Zion dude.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Rusty Contanza.)
I haven’t really talked much about Zion Williamson in this platform. I deliberately avoided talking about him in his first game because everyone was going to. Still, I did a snippet of him on that debut because he did make four straight threes in his debut game.
But I remember talking about Zion with my brother when he was playing in Duke. I already noticed his freakish size and the scary athleticism to go with it. I honestly can’t remember who my brother thought was the best Blue Devil on that trio but I know it wasn’t Zion. RJ Barrett would be picked #3 by the Knicks and Cam Reddish would go 10th with the Hawks. I mean, how can you pass up on Zion’s potential?
And it turns out that I wasn’t crazy. Zion had all the hype in the world. It got to the point where it was mentioned that he was the most anticipated rookie to come into the league since LeBron James. I mean, look at this…
This is how it is when the big man on campus is in town. Poor Goga Bitadze.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Fletcher Mackel.)
Unfortunately, Zion had a knee injury that kept him out until a few weeks ago. Everyone thought he was going to sit out the season for precautionary measures. But lo and behold, he returned on January 22nd. His debut had some electrifying minutes but not for the reasons we all thought. He caught fire and made four straight three-pointers.
He has played 9 games thus far and he showed out his best against Portland on Tuesday night when he went for 31 points, 9 boards, and 5 dimes. Williamson showed his hops. He did a quick first step. And he’s just so dang powerful and agile for his size. Again, how can you stop this dude inside?
Remember when LeBron came into the league? The dude was already built like Karl Malone when he came in yet he pretty much played point guard. That kind of combined body, skill, power, speed, and agility is just something you don’t deny. Let’s go back even further. Look at Shaquille O’Neal. The guy was already 300 pounds when he got drafted. But we were so amazed on how nimble he was to go with that strength. You know what he did in the league. Shaq was possibly the most unfair to guard in the history of the NBA.
Which baffles me why some people are claiming that Zion should lose weight. And maybe he can. But bodies are built so differently. Again, look how powerful he is inside. Watch him in transition. Check out how HIGH he gets on those dunks. This guy could be a once-a-decade type of player and some already want to take away from what he is.
What people around him should do, though, is help him hone his craft. He has trouble defending (expected for a rookie). He doesn’t have a consistent jumpshot (expected for a rookie). But he’ll learn those things as he gets more acclimated to the NBA.
While the team should do everything in their power to keep him healthy, what they can’t do is try to make drastic changes to his body if he’s built the way he is. Don’t try to make him lose 35 pounds or anything like that. What makes him so unique is his body. Look at LeBron. Look at Shaq. Obviously, they turned out okay with what they got.
Zion is off to a great start so far. It was probably expected but it’s great for everyone involved.
Bullet Passes
Ben Simmons got his second straight triple-double. But let’s tell everyone how he’s not a good basketball player, for Christ’s sake.
Speaking of letting players be themselves, Russell Westbrook has found himself in Houston. In the calendar year 2020 Anno Domini, he’s averaging 33.1 points, 8.1 boards, 7.4 assists, and 1.9 steals. He’s also shooting way less threes and his overall field goal percentage in 2020 is at .523. Pretty good.
Zach LaVine continues to score in bunches. His team lost to the Wizards but it was his 5th 40-point game this season.
Of course, the Spurs win after I’ve pretty much said they were dead yesterday. I mean, I still think they’re dead but if they win 8 straight or something, they would be zombies.
The Scoreboard
LAC 103 (37-17) @ PHI 110 (34-21)
CHI 114 (19-36) @ WAS 126 (19-33)
POR 117 (25-30) @ NO 138 (23-31)
SA 114 (23-31) @ OKC 106 (32-22)
BOS 105 (37-16) @ HOU 116 (34-20)
Watch This Play
First, a scuffle between Joel Embiid and Marcus Morris happened. But Embiid would get the last laugh with this rejection.
(VIDEO CREDIT: Chaz Clavant NBA.)
We need more of that from Joel.
GG.
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
TNLP on FaceBook.
For the rest of the season, I will sign off with GG, which usually means “Good Game.” But we also know “Gigi” is Gianna Bryant’s nickname. This will be my tribute to her.