Thoughts on Zion/Cam/RJ

[Ricker]

The graphic that Zion would be the heaviest player in the nba really surprised me. None of the 6'10 to over 7' monsters weigh 285lbs? AND he can dunk taking off from the foul line, as they showed last night!! Wow

 

[Pgh2Storrs]

Duke is really good, but I'm sure they'll drop a game or two somewhere along the line. That league is too strong and these are kids...they won't be that "on" all the time.

My biggest takeaway is, after all Calipari's smirking bluster this offseason, watching UK get absolutely smoked was great. Usually Cal starts the year saying that they're in trouble and slowly builds them up as the young guys gel, usually leading to a surge right before tournament time. From his comments this year, you could tell he thought this team was going to be a world beater right from the jump, so I was very happy to see them get completely worked.

 

[BIIIG]

Clearly the Duke studs were studs, but saying that Zion anad Barrett can get 30 on any given night, and that Zion is a better athlete than LeBron is ridiculous. I'd say at this rate they're on their way to being great players but the NBA is a different beast than college. This game is WAAAAY different if Duke doesn't hit their first 6 shots and Kentucky doesn't start 1 for 5ish. Once Duke had that early lead they could play loose and without pressure, and Kentucky was playing panicked and scared.

People calling Zion an instagram athlete musn't have watched the game. More impressive than the 11-13 was the passes he was making. The guy is clearly a good play maker and if the NBA keeps trending towards a positionless game, he will benefit greatly.

It will be interesting to see how these guys play when they are actually in a close game and have to go get a bucket to stay in a game. I wonder if they will all be so selfless or if egos will get in the way. Likely will happen when they lose their annual game to NC State/BC.

Also Duke's bench. Never seen so many kids running their mouth while doing nothing.

 

[gtcam]

Before everyone gives the NC trophy to Duke let's see them play a team that can execute on offense
Kentucky played like crap and in the 1st half they missed so many bunnies and Duke gave them little opposition
All said, Zion and Barrett are unreal - they could play NBA ball right now
As far as LeBron comparatives - Zion can move for his size and his perimeter shooting is more refined than LeBron at the same age. If Zion can control his weight and stay injury free he has limitless potential. Barrett is a points machine and has a nose for the basket - he is such a fluid scorer - they will go 1 and 2 in the draft
Duke will score points but will they be able to stop competent teams from doing the same?
Kentucky was far from competent last night - a beautiful thing to see
Freshmen tend to foul because they overthink - that is a hard to overcome - I think the ace in the hole for Duke is the PG Jones.

 

[bendm]

just glad they'll all be gone next year when danny really starts cookin'

 

[mauconnfan]

There is smoke surrounding coach K since he decided to try and beat the squid at his own game. I hope the FBI crawls up his arse and gives him a nice exam.

Agree there is obvious smoke but the NCAA will literally grab the firetruck and run over to put it out themselves for Coach K. NEVER happen there, never no matter what they do and he knows it.

 

[intlzncster]

There is smoke surrounding coach K since he decided to try and beat the squid at his own game. I hope the FBI crawls up his arse and gives him a nice exam.

Me too cause the NCAA sure won't.

 

[intlzncster]

He's an amazing college player as of now no doubt. They all are on the Duke side, already coached up pretty well not as much on the other side. But Zion is still not tall and I could care less about how strong he is in the NBA if you're 6'5 you better be a lights out shooter because you're not bullying people in the next level. Looks like he can shoot it better than they're saying but this is a long season, for him and Barrett. Reddish is a shooter and a damn good one too.

Quite the payroll at Duke. If the '99 team had Blazers from what we hear can't imagine what this team is driving in Durham.

Draymond Green is 6'7 and plays C/PF. Kid has enough height to play in the post. He's got the strength and quickness to make up for any deficiencies.

 

[Austin316]

Coach K gave Cal a taste of his own medicine.

 

[Horatio]

He’s no Selvie

 

[superjohn]

He isn't a better athlete tham lebron. Otherwise spot on​

He actually is though. They are both freaks but Zion is just more freakish. Nothing to do with basketball skills but Zion is way bigger and stronger, jumps a little higher, and is just as fast.

 

[superjohn]

There is smoke surrounding coach K since he decided to try and beat the squid at his own game. I hope the FBI crawls up his arse and gives him a nice exam.

K is absolutely cheating and he will absolutely get away with it.

 

[Scoe]

Knicks need to lose even though I like seeing them be competitive now with the youth they have.

 

[Dogdeacon]

It is interesting, for years we had the 'next Jordan' hype around so many players - it was so ludicrous and destructive that it seemingly dropped out of the culture. Comps are still used, but we haven't heard the 'next _____' for quite a long time in basketball because that lesson was learned. It was so eradicated that now it might need to be re-learned.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

But Zion is still not tall and I could care less about how strong he is in the NBA if you're 6'5 you better be a lights out shooter because you're not bullying people in the next level. .

If you put him in the NBA right now he'd be the second heaviest player in the league behind only Boban. I'm not so sure he isn't bullying guys from day one.

Honestly, my only thought watching that team last night was "thank god UConn doesn't play them anytime soon."

 

[InKembaITrust]

I'm hoping 1 of the 3 goes to the Celtics next year. Assuming they don't trade the King's pick and it projects favorably

 

[huskyfan224]

Lay off Lebron, he is charitable and is a father after all, sheesh... If my kids look up to a mid 30s egotistical dude who raps into his instagram stories and is "supposedly" the GOAT (not even close) and calls himself "King" I failed. I simply can't stand that guy and I hope Zion is better. He definitely has potential to be great

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Lay off Lebron, he is charitable and is a father after all, sheesh... If my kids look up to a mid 30s egotistical dude who raps into his instagram stories and is "supposedly" the GOAT (not even close) and calls himself "King" I failed. I simply can't stand that guy and I hope Zion is better. He definitely has potential to be great

#takequake

 

[QDOG5]

Kentucky tried to run with Duke and Duke is was superior in the uptempo game. It will be interesting when Duke plays Virginia and their packline D. I don't 118 points happening in that game. It was interesting to see Mich St. giving up 50 in the first half and 92 in the game. That is very unIzzo like.

 

[navery12]

I'm hoping 1 of the 3 goes to the Celtics next year. Assuming they don't trade the King's pick and it projects favorably

I thought the Celtics would end up with a top 5 pick this year, but the Kings are gonna win too many games for that to happen. They're more likely looking at something around 6-8

 

[intlzncster]

I thought the Celtics would end up with a top 5 pick this year, but the Kings are gonna win too many games for that to happen. They're more likely looking at something around 6-8

Never know. It's a long, long season. So many things can change with injuries, teams reverting to their mean, etc.

 

[Lefty2one]

If you're comparing 18-year-old Zion to 18-year-old LeBron then Zion is absolutely the better athlete.

I enjoyed watching Zion show off his skills last night. So many #hottakes about how all he does is dunk and that he can't do anything else will look foolish. The kid will be a problem in the NBA and should be a Top 3 pick.

Barrett will probably be the top pick. As he tightens up his handle and gets stronger he will be one hell of a pro. Then Cam is the throw-in, who'll also be a Top 5 pick. Just a sick class. I'm surprised at how cohesive they looked last night.

 

[navery12]

Never know. It's a long, long season. So many things can change with injuries, teams reverting to their mean, etc.

It's still early and they will more than likely regress, but they also have no incentive to tank while it seems like half the East is already tanking. Already being at 6 wins this early could be tough for them to fall behind a lot of these other teams

 

[Lefty2one]

If you put him in the NBA right now he'd be the second heaviest player in the league behind only Boban. I'm not so sure he isn't bullying guys from day one.

Zion will certainly bully people from Day 1. Draymond bullies plenty of people and he's 50 lbs lighter. Julius Randle bullies most of the league and he's 35 lbs lighter. The league prioritizes speed and quickness these days; it's a league full of twigs. Zion is going to be a big matchup problem.

Charles Barkley faced all these questions 30+ years ago and he was shorter than Zion in a more physical, big man's league.

 

[goskis2018]

Zion will certainly bully people from Day 1. Draymond bullies plenty of people and he's 50 lbs lighter. Julius Randle bullies most of the league and he's 35 lbs lighter. The league prioritizes speed and quickness these days; it's a league full of twigs. Zion is going to be a big matchup problem.

Charles Barkley faced all these questions 30+ years ago and he was shorter than Zion in a more physical, big man's league.

Agreed the kid is an all-world athlete. The pro game is going to slow him down just as much as it did for saquon. You have to remember the guys he dominated are 5 star athletes themselves.