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The NBA world has never hyped a player as much as Zion Williamson. After his dominant year playing for Coach K and the Duke Blue Devils, Williamson is set to make what is likely the most anticipated NBA debut of all-time. From the high-flying dunks to the incredible blocked shots, Zion continues to amaze basketball fans and experts alike.
Although not quite as wildly popular, Ja Morant out of Murray State has been met with praise as well. His incredible athleticism matched with insane passing skills make for quite a deadly combo. Morant reminds me of a Russell Westbrook/Derrick Rose type player. The only difference is Morant can actually shoot. While not quite a knockdown three-point shooter, Morant has the potential to get there.
Every single basketball expert is proclaiming Zion Williamson to be the second coming of LeBron James. He definitely looks like a phenom in the making, but will he truly be the greatest of his generation? He certainly has the talent.
There is one glaring problem standing in Zion’s way, however, his health. During his historic run at Duke, Zion was notably out for quite some time due to injury. His style of play is not conducive to long term success. More precisely, Zion’s style of play is likely to litter his professional career with injury.
High-flying big men in the NBA don’t last long before injuries start to hamper their play. Blake Griffin is a perfect example of this. Although Griffin is still an elite player, he has missed significant playing time for the past several seasons due to injury.
Maybe Zion, like LeBron, will remain somewhat immune to catastrophic injuries.
Ja Morant will most likely face similar problems over the course of his career. Another high-flyer, Morant has a lot of similarities to a young Derrick Rose. This could lead him to having a career like Rose, plagued with injury.
There is one difference between the two players, however, Ja Morant is more offensively versatile. He doesn’t need to be finishing every play above the rim. The young point guard is most likely only a couple of years away from having a good three-point percentage. Day one in the NBA he will most likely be one of the best passers in the league. Having so many tools at his disposal will allow Morant to not have to depend upon his athleticism.
The National Basketball Association is a guards league and it always will be. Although Zion Williamson is a talent unlike anything we’ve seen in quite some time, there are many red flags already popping up about his health. Ja Morant is made for this league, and he’s going to have a better career.