Duke star Zion Williamson declares for 2019 NBA Draft

Scott Rafferty

Duke star Zion Williamson declares for 2019 NBA Draft image

Zion Williamson has declared for the 2019 NBA Draft, he today announced on his Instagram.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

🔵Thank you Duke🔵#thebrotherhood

A post shared by Zion Williamson (@zionlw10) on

 

Williamson spent his freshman season at Duke, where he dominated the competition with 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game on 68.0 percent shooting from the field and 33.8 percent from 3-point range. He was named the ACC Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year, NABC Player of the Year, College Player of the Year by Sporting News.

Williamson was named the Oscar Robertson Player of the Year as well, joining Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant as the only freshman to win the award.

In his NCAA Tournament debut, Willamson led Duke to an 85-62 victory over North Dakota State with 25 points on 12-for-16 shooting from the field. He then finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds in their second-round matchup with Central Florida, 23 points against Virginia Tech in the Sweet 16 and 24 points and 14 rebounds in their loss to Michigan State in the Elite Eight.

Williamson is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. There are some questions about what position he'll play in the NBA as he combines the size of a forward (6-foot-7) with the build of a centre (285 pounds), but he's one of the most explosive and powerful prospects we've ever seen. He also has an already well-rounded skill set, with scouts praising his unselfishness on offence and his ability to guard multiple positions on defence.

Williamson has been compared to the likes of Charles Barkley, Blake Griffin, Larry Johnson and Draymond Green.

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.