Zion Williamson Is Also Terrifying on the Defensive End
By Kyle Koster
Zion Williamson scored 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting in Duke’s blowout victory over Notre Dame Monday night. The Blue Devils superstar and future No. 1 pick added nine rebounds and four assists for good measure. He also blocked four Irish shots, some in spectacular fashion, while turning in a defensive effort even the most intense both-ends coach in the world would appreciate.
The blue-chipper is blue-collar.
What do you even do with this? When a 6-7, 285 pound freshman is equally comfortable staying with quick point guards on the bounce as he is banging with centers under the basket, it’s going to be trouble for the opposing team. Williamson is a one-stop shop for eye-popping highlights, but it’s worth appreciating the smaller elements of his game as well.
The way he clears out space. The way he gets into a defender’s chest on his first move. The way he can be aggressive as hell without getting into foul trouble. Everything feels so efficient.
And the box score matches the eye test. Williamson shot 55 percent from the line last night, which isn’t great. Then you see his 26 points came on 12 field goal attempts and a zero in the turnover column.
He is terrifying from baseline to baseline and boundary to boundary. They may play these games on college campuses, but there are no safe spaces.