Zion Williamson doesn’t belong in college.
With every game he plays, every opponent he dismantles, every did-you-see-THAT highlight he produces, the Duke freshman shows why the NBA needs to scrap its ridiculous “one-and-done” rule. Three games into his college career, it’s clear Williamson is more ready for the NBA than some of the guys already there.
Look, going straight to the NBA from high school isn’t right for every player. In fact, it’s probably not the right move for most.
As dominant as they were in high school or on the AAU circuit, the NBA is a different world and the year or two players spend in college – maybe even three or four – could make the difference between having a long, successful career and joining the list of phenom flameouts. Some need the coaching and competition they’ll get in college, while others need to get stronger.
But there are some players with the maturity, on the court and off, to go directly to the NBA, and the league’s insistence on a one-year moratorium to their entry hasn’t done anyone any good. Not a league whose popularity revolves around transcendent players. Not a college game where the competition is so wildly lopsided.
And not a player like Williamson, who might be the guy to carry the NBA in the post-LeBron world.
In his first three games at Duke, Williamson is averaging a double-double with 25.3 points and 10.7 rebounds, and he’s shooting 82%. Yes, you read that right. Williamson is shooting 82% from the floor.
He’s doing this despite limited playing time. Against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday night, he scored 21 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had a jaw-dropping dunk in all of 21 minutes.
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