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ESPN Senior Writer- Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series
- Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers
- Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE system
Can Zion Williamson live up to the hype as a rookie?
Our NBArank panel placed the No. 1 overall pick of this year's draft 42nd, the highest ever for a first-year player in the nine seasons we've been doing NBArank. That's understandable given Williamson is one of the most promising players to enter the league in recent memory.
Still, is it fair to expect any 19-year-old rookie to be one of the league's top 50 players right away? After his first appearance with the New Orleans Pelicans at the NBA summer league was cut short by a bone bruise in his left knee, Williamson still has to answer questions about whether his conditioning is ready for the speed of the NBA game. So, is his lofty NBArank placement reasonable?
ESPN NBA experts Kevin Pelton and Mike Schmitz discuss.