TripleThreat wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:

TripleThreat wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:I can't belive anyone would say no to Zion... this is the single most absurd draft stance I've heard since Briggs said Beasley over Rose. You people cannot be serious. I know it's a 'flawed' statistic, but Zion has a 42.3 PER and had the most beautiful block i have ever seen in my life. I am so glad that anti-Zion contingent isn't in charge of our draft.

No one is saying no to Zion Williamson.

He's the current best value in the draft. The argument up in the air is if

A) If there is value in trading him ( i.e. the first overall pick)

B) Questions about his long term durability ( i.e. he's dominating against non NBA competition and against a non NBA schedule/grind)

C) Questions about his long term fit ( if he can be a small ball 5, if he can overcome length issues with his explosive athleticism, if he can fix his shooting ( this is not a given), whether he can develop his right hand)

He has many positives. He can play way above the rim. Absurdly so. His footwork is pretty damn good for a young guy and his weight class. He's got good ball security. He can run over close to anyone heading to the rim with a full head of steam.

But he is not without questions. Those questions are not small ones. He's completely dependent on his athleticism, and while it's extreme in ability, it's still subjective to his ability to stay healthy. He's a super powered charged tweener, but he's still a positional tweener. Sure he can jump out of the gym for the first 20-30 games when he's fresh, but what about 50-60 games in when he's battered and teams are hammering him and he's getting knocked around in the paint and not getting calls in his favor?

There are people already anointing him as a decade long All Star and future HOFer and will dominate the league immediately as a rookie player. Sometimes you get a Shaq or a LBJ, but those are pretty rare. But some of these guys also wanted to give Trey Burke and Enes Kanter long term deals as well.

No one is saying No to Zion, they are saying there are big questions ( fair ones) and whether a trade is a good option if the Knicks win the first overall pick ( pretty unlikely)

If we have the opportunity to draft and develop Zion and we (a) trade him, (b) are scared off by his health, or (c) are concerned about how he fits here, well, then I would say that is effectively saying no to Zion. You can say you're discussing the merits but I say that talk has absolutely no merit. Semantic it all you want. When a player is that much more dominant than his competition, again, you take him. He has produced. He has upside. OBAMA SAW HIM PLAY. Obama. Saw. Him. Play. Come on, anyone pontificating about this just wants to be able to reference back to this should he not work out. That's all this crap is. No one needs to hear me say Zion is good. It is so friggin obvious that people are focusing on all the wrong stuff just to have a dissenting opinion.

"Because I said so"

When Bill Walsh used to run his draft room, this was considered the one taboo. You could argue ANYTHING with Bill Walsh on evaluating a player or draft prospect, as long as the purpose was winning and making the team better and finding the most talent. But what was not acceptable was to break down any player or prospect simply by taking the position - Because I Said So

Why is Player X a good cornerback in man coverage?

Because I Said So.

What about his ability to flip his hips? His recovery speed? His ability to read the QB? How his run defense?

Well, he's a good player because I said so!

That's your angle. Because you said so. You aren't actually addressing any actual skill/tradeoff issues with Zion Williamson. Like many here, you've already decided he's going to be an All Star and future HOFer all in his rookie season and **** anyone else for thinking otherwise.

Here's the problem with Williamson. He's "listed" at 285. Good chance he's heavier than that now. He's a big big boy. No doubt. He will walk into the league profiling out as easily one of top three to five heaviest players in the entire league. We are talking a weight class around "Big Monster" type pivots. Zion also does not have incredible length nor wingspan. While he can jump out of the gym, his lateral skill set is not otherworldly. This means he will struggle defensively on the wing. There are elite athletes who aren't carrying his frame and have more length and they still struggle to defend the wing in a league designed to benefit offense aka the Attack Guard mentality.

Thus defensively the question is if he can play a small ball pivot. You can be smaller and play pivot ( aka Chuck Hayes/Draymond Green) but you need incredible timing and incredible recovery speed and incredible BBIQ. You also need to be able to space the floor. And Zion's shot mechanics have real problems. Someone in some other thread said he had good shooting mechanics, I have no idea what the **** that dude is talking about. There is also a baseline assumption Zion can fix his long range shooting problems. Hard work can get you there, but lots of players don't get there. It's not a guarantee. To play the pivot and defend the rim, Zion WILL BE COMPLETELY RELIANT ON HIS ATHLETICISM.

"Are you hurt or are you injured?"

As a professional athlete, you are expected to play hurt. You can't play injured. Injured means basically you are knocked out cold or some bone broke on you or your ACL ripped on you. You are expected to play when you are pretty ****ed up otherwise. The college season at it's max, it's potential max, is a little less than half of an NBA season. Against lesser competition. The question remains, 50-60 games in, and this isn't including possible playoff attrition, what is he going to look like on defense? He's one ****ed up ankle injury away from being a total mess on the court.

I played the line at over 300 pounds for over a decade and I know firsthand the toll of carrying that weight will do on your joints and your injury profile. I also did not play in the pass happy era where QBs could not be touched at all and the league was so offensive minded where pass rushers were neutered for me. I also watched and had to train and compete and basically live with the other guys on both sides of the line and see how badly carrying that weight impacted their knees, ankles, back and everything else. And we weren't asked to jump above the rim over and over again. But we were all expected to play hurt. And battered. And tired. And exhausted. And stressed. You all are looking at Zion Williamson under ideal conditions, but no pro game operates in ideal conditions.

He's dominating college! Big ****ing deal. Danny Ferry slaughtered the college game. Or pick anyone who destroyed the college game and didn't turn into an immediately HOFer their rookie year in the pros.

Zion is high risk/high reward. There is high reward potential. But some of you want to ignore the high risk element. He's an explosive athlete. He's an explosive COLLEGE PLAYER. It remains to be seen if he's going to be an explosive NBA PLAYER.

Supreme Commander Of Because I Said So, tell me, how is Zion Williamson going to consistently defend the rim? How is he going to defend the wing otherwise? How is he going to fix his shooting mechanics? Can he develop his right hand?

Because you said so, right? You ****ing idiot.

Your whole post is based on because you said so you ****ing idiot.

VCoug wrote:

TripleThreat wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:

TripleThreat wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:I can't belive anyone would say no to Zion... this is the single most absurd draft stance I've heard since Briggs said Beasley over Rose. You people cannot be serious. I know it's a 'flawed' statistic, but Zion has a 42.3 PER and had the most beautiful block i have ever seen in my life. I am so glad that anti-Zion contingent isn't in charge of our draft.

No one is saying no to Zion Williamson.

He's the current best value in the draft. The argument up in the air is if

A) If there is value in trading him ( i.e. the first overall pick)

B) Questions about his long term durability ( i.e. he's dominating against non NBA competition and against a non NBA schedule/grind)

C) Questions about his long term fit ( if he can be a small ball 5, if he can overcome length issues with his explosive athleticism, if he can fix his shooting ( this is not a given), whether he can develop his right hand)

He has many positives. He can play way above the rim. Absurdly so. His footwork is pretty damn good for a young guy and his weight class. He's got good ball security. He can run over close to anyone heading to the rim with a full head of steam.

But he is not without questions. Those questions are not small ones. He's completely dependent on his athleticism, and while it's extreme in ability, it's still subjective to his ability to stay healthy. He's a super powered charged tweener, but he's still a positional tweener. Sure he can jump out of the gym for the first 20-30 games when he's fresh, but what about 50-60 games in when he's battered and teams are hammering him and he's getting knocked around in the paint and not getting calls in his favor?

There are people already anointing him as a decade long All Star and future HOFer and will dominate the league immediately as a rookie player. Sometimes you get a Shaq or a LBJ, but those are pretty rare. But some of these guys also wanted to give Trey Burke and Enes Kanter long term deals as well.

No one is saying No to Zion, they are saying there are big questions ( fair ones) and whether a trade is a good option if the Knicks win the first overall pick ( pretty unlikely)

If we have the opportunity to draft and develop Zion and we (a) trade him, (b) are scared off by his health, or (c) are concerned about how he fits here, well, then I would say that is effectively saying no to Zion. You can say you're discussing the merits but I say that talk has absolutely no merit. Semantic it all you want. When a player is that much more dominant than his competition, again, you take him. He has produced. He has upside. OBAMA SAW HIM PLAY. Obama. Saw. Him. Play. Come on, anyone pontificating about this just wants to be able to reference back to this should he not work out. That's all this crap is. No one needs to hear me say Zion is good. It is so friggin obvious that people are focusing on all the wrong stuff just to have a dissenting opinion.

"Because I said so"

When Bill Walsh used to run his draft room, this was considered the one taboo. You could argue ANYTHING with Bill Walsh on evaluating a player or draft prospect, as long as the purpose was winning and making the team better and finding the most talent. But what was not acceptable was to break down any player or prospect simply by taking the position - Because I Said So

Why is Player X a good cornerback in man coverage?

Because I Said So.

What about his ability to flip his hips? His recovery speed? His ability to read the QB? How his run defense?

Well, he's a good player because I said so!

That's your angle. Because you said so. You aren't actually addressing any actual skill/tradeoff issues with Zion Williamson. Like many here, you've already decided he's going to be an All Star and future HOFer all in his rookie season and **** anyone else for thinking otherwise.

Here's the problem with Williamson. He's "listed" at 285. Good chance he's heavier than that now. He's a big big boy. No doubt. He will walk into the league profiling out as easily one of top three to five heaviest players in the entire league. We are talking a weight class around "Big Monster" type pivots. Zion also does not have incredible length nor wingspan. While he can jump out of the gym, his lateral skill set is not otherworldly. This means he will struggle defensively on the wing. There are elite athletes who aren't carrying his frame and have more length and they still struggle to defend the wing in a league designed to benefit offense aka the Attack Guard mentality.

Thus defensively the question is if he can play a small ball pivot. You can be smaller and play pivot ( aka Chuck Hayes/Draymond Green) but you need incredible timing and incredible recovery speed and incredible BBIQ. You also need to be able to space the floor. And Zion's shot mechanics have real problems. Someone in some other thread said he had good shooting mechanics, I have no idea what the **** that dude is talking about. There is also a baseline assumption Zion can fix his long range shooting problems. Hard work can get you there, but lots of players don't get there. It's not a guarantee. To play the pivot and defend the rim, Zion WILL BE COMPLETELY RELIANT ON HIS ATHLETICISM.

"Are you hurt or are you injured?"

As a professional athlete, you are expected to play hurt. You can't play injured. Injured means basically you are knocked out cold or some bone broke on you or your ACL ripped on you. You are expected to play when you are pretty ****ed up otherwise. The college season at it's max, it's potential max, is a little less than half of an NBA season. Against lesser competition. The question remains, 50-60 games in, and this isn't including possible playoff attrition, what is he going to look like on defense? He's one ****ed up ankle injury away from being a total mess on the court.

I played the line at over 300 pounds for over a decade and I know firsthand the toll of carrying that weight will do on your joints and your injury profile. I also did not play in the pass happy era where QBs could not be touched at all and the league was so offensive minded where pass rushers were neutered for me. I also watched and had to train and compete and basically live with the other guys on both sides of the line and see how badly carrying that weight impacted their knees, ankles, back and everything else. And we weren't asked to jump above the rim over and over again. But we were all expected to play hurt. And battered. And tired. And exhausted. And stressed. You all are looking at Zion Williamson under ideal conditions, but no pro game operates in ideal conditions.

He's dominating college! Big ****ing deal. Danny Ferry slaughtered the college game. Or pick anyone who destroyed the college game and didn't turn into an immediately HOFer their rookie year in the pros.

Zion is high risk/high reward. There is high reward potential. But some of you want to ignore the high risk element. He's an explosive athlete. He's an explosive COLLEGE PLAYER. It remains to be seen if he's going to be an explosive NBA PLAYER.

Supreme Commander Of Because I Said So, tell me, how is Zion Williamson going to consistently defend the rim? How is he going to defend the wing otherwise? How is he going to fix his shooting mechanics? Can he develop his right hand?

Because you said so, right? You ****ing idiot.

Your whole post is based on because you said so you ****ing idiot.

+1

misterearl wrote:RJ Barrett had 30 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and shot 70 per cent from the floor.

I’m jus sayin.’

Yeah, but apparently that don't mean sheehit because he's playing in college. Oh wait, Barrett's not a fat ****ing landwhale, is he?

When is Fiz finally going to start Ron Baker?

jrodmc wrote:

misterearl wrote:RJ Barrett had 30 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and shot 70 per cent from the floor.

I’m jus sayin.’

Yeah, but apparently that don't mean sheehit because he's playing in college. Oh wait, Barrett's not a fat ****ing landwhale, is he?

When is Fiz finally going to start Ron Baker?

TripleThreat wrote:

jrodmc wrote:We are talking about a 6'7" (and don't forget, Oh wizard of the way all things competent actually are, you've given us dissertation-length posts on how SMALL THE WORLD'S POPULATION IS WHEN IT COMES TO HEIGHT). He scores. He plays both sides of the ball, and he manages to make even ballhogs better. He's not just another iso-brained bucket machine. And the mother can jump right out of the gym AND NOW PIVOTS HIMSELF OUT OF HIS FUCKING SHOES. Is he going to take whatever team gets him to chipland in his rookie year? Maybe not, but stranger things have happened in this league.

Your anger is delicious.

Can Zion defend the rim?

Can Zion play the wing?

What position will he play?

What will he look like as an undersized pivot that lacks the length to compensate?

Can he fix his shot mechanics? How will he fix them?

Can he develop his right hand?

Can Zion run an NBA grade offense consistently?

How will Zion adjust/counteradjust to the full NBA regular season grind compared to his college slate of games?

How will Zion react to playing against a higher grade of competition in the NBA?

How will Zion adjust/counter adjust when, like most rookies, he won't get many or any calls in his favor by the refs?

He pivots out of his shoes and injured his knee. How will that impact how teams look at him now?

Like many others here, you simply are ignoring the salient issues regarding Zion's draft status. He will be the No#1 overall pick. He will be the best value on the draft board, but he's not without questions. Some are actually pretty complicated questions.

You won't address any of these issues, JRod, I've seen you post here for years. You lack any semblance of any ability to use any kind of critical thinking. Basic resource management in the NBA is actually pretty simple. Lots of people get it ( though maybe not lots of people on this board) but you don't. You get angry because you don't like to feel dumb. When I post, to you, it's like someone calling you dumb. But here's the thing, JRod, even if I never posted on this site at all, ever and simply never existed, you'd still be ignorant as to how the NBA actually operates. It's simple, but it's still too complicated for you.

Yeah JROD! How are you not seeing the obvious? Why are you not posting 500 word dissertations that say absolutely nothing? I mean look at Triple, he posts this long wordy masterpiece that shows, peasants like us, the real **** no one else knows. I feel like I was just a part of a real behind the scenes NBA meeting. Who would have guessed (cue dramatic music) that front offices have questions about draft picks, including Zion. Genious. He is right, you will never have this type of insight on how the NBA actually operates. You can only hope to have that type of thinking, some day where you stop focusing on stupid things like how Zion is 275, running over people in college and has a 40 plus vertical. I honestly can't wait for his next "behind the scenes" informational novel. Serious question, which has more pages and is more full of B.S? Book of Mormon or Triples last 20 posts? (We know Triples are easily over 531 pages)

Fyi. Curious that a 300lb guy on the computer describes your anger as delicious.

TripleThreat wrote:

jrodmc wrote:We are talking about a 6'7" (and don't forget, Oh wizard of the way all things competent actually are, you've given us dissertation-length posts on how SMALL THE WORLD'S POPULATION IS WHEN IT COMES TO HEIGHT). He scores. He plays both sides of the ball, and he manages to make even ballhogs better. He's not just another iso-brained bucket machine. And the mother can jump right out of the gym AND NOW PIVOTS HIMSELF OUT OF HIS FUCKING SHOES. Is he going to take whatever team gets him to chipland in his rookie year? Maybe not, but stranger things have happened in this league.

Your anger is delicious.

Can Zion defend the rim?

Can Zion play the wing?

What position will he play?

What will he look like as an undersized pivot that lacks the length to compensate?

Can he fix his shot mechanics? How will he fix them?

Can he develop his right hand?

Can Zion run an NBA grade offense consistently?

How will Zion adjust/counteradjust to the full NBA regular season grind compared to his college slate of games?

How will Zion react to playing against a higher grade of competition in the NBA?

How will Zion adjust/counter adjust when, like most rookies, he won't get many or any calls in his favor by the refs?

He pivots out of his shoes and injured his knee. How will that impact how teams look at him now?

Like many others here, you simply are ignoring the salient issues regarding Zion's draft status. He will be the No#1 overall pick. He will be the best value on the draft board, but he's not without questions. Some are actually pretty complicated questions.

You won't address any of these issues, JRod, I've seen you post here for years. You lack any semblance of any ability to use any kind of critical thinking. Basic resource management in the NBA is actually pretty simple. Lots of people get it ( though maybe not lots of people on this board) but you don't. You get angry because you don't like to feel dumb. When I post, to you, it's like someone calling you dumb. But here's the thing, JRod, even if I never posted on this site at all, ever and simply never existed, you'd still be ignorant as to how the NBA actually operates. It's simple, but it's still too complicated for you.

Curious that someone as erudite and professionally adept as you, Triple, cannot answer or even attempt to address a simple question.

Ron Baker. Starting at PG.

Yes, I'm sure you're going to keep acting like you never posted that, while continuing to pontificate with your painfully stupid questions. The thread remains, Pass on Zion. You are raising the same questions any 5th grader would ask about any college athlete; is he going to be a star in the NBA?, and yet you treat this line of questioning like it's some hidden secret you uncovered during your last archaeological dig in the Andes. Will strength and running and jumping equate to talent in the NBA? Gee, Dorothy, I just don't know. But a wise man once told me that there are only so many tall people on earth who can actually put a round ball in a round hole. And extrapolating that piece of brilliance, there are probably even less tall people on earth who can generate enough physical force to launch a 275 lb frame 44 inches off the floor. But be that as it may, this Zion person could be the biggest flop in the draft since, oh, Sam Bowie.

Triple, seriously, if you would just cut the self-aggrandizing BS and just post your thoughts, it would actually be more educational to sots like me who lack your incredible talent at constantly employing never ending, run-on sentences. Or maybe it would not.

Stand alone in your contrarian ignorance, while you valiantly wait for Ron Baker to vindicate your incredible grasp of resource management. I applaud you.

I'm actually starting to think you're just an algorithm martin and Andrew are using to keep site traffic up during this pathetic waste of a season.

TripleThreat wrote:

VCoug wrote:

TripleThreat wrote:

jrodmc wrote:We are talking about a 6'7" (and don't forget, Oh wizard of the way all things competent actually are, you've given us dissertation-length posts on how SMALL THE WORLD'S POPULATION IS WHEN IT COMES TO HEIGHT). He scores. He plays both sides of the ball, and he manages to make even ballhogs better. He's not just another iso-brained bucket machine. And the mother can jump right out of the gym AND NOW PIVOTS HIMSELF OUT OF HIS FUCKING SHOES. Is he going to take whatever team gets him to chipland in his rookie year? Maybe not, but stranger things have happened in this league.

Your anger is delicious.

Can Zion defend the rim?

Can Zion play the wing?

What position will he play?

What will he look like as an undersized pivot that lacks the length to compensate?

Can he fix his shot mechanics? How will he fix them?

Can he develop his right hand?

Can Zion run an NBA grade offense consistently?

How will Zion adjust/counteradjust to the full NBA regular season grind compared to his college slate of games?

How will Zion react to playing against a higher grade of competition in the NBA?

How will Zion adjust/counter adjust when, like most rookies, he won't get many or any calls in his favor by the refs?

He pivots out of his shoes and injured his knee. How will that impact how teams look at him now?

Like many others here, you simply are ignoring the salient issues regarding Zion's draft status. He will be the No#1 overall pick. He will be the best value on the draft board, but he's not without questions. Some are actually pretty complicated questions.

You won't address any of these issues, JRod, I've seen you post here for years. You lack any semblance of any ability to use any kind of critical thinking. Basic resource management in the NBA is actually pretty simple. Lots of people get it ( though maybe not lots of people on this board) but you don't. You get angry because you don't like to feel dumb. When I post, to you, it's like someone calling you dumb. But here's the thing, JRod, even if I never posted on this site at all, ever and simply never existed, you'd still be ignorant as to how the NBA actually operates. It's simple, but it's still too complicated for you.

Lol, half these questions are relevant to anyone coming to the NBA! Here's a question. Who's your preferred player in the draft?

Actually these questions are very specific to Zion Williamson.

No one actually wants to address any of them. No one seems to be paying much attention to the issue that Zion is currently sitting out with a knee injury.

Unlike many here, I'm not automatically deciding the Knicks will win the draft lottery.

Odds on, if the Knicks win the draft lottery ( still long odds against it), then Zion is the best value for slot and on the board. If they get the top pick, I believe they should explore a possible trade. If they can't get value for it or close to market value, then take Zion and cross your fingers and hope he pans out as people hope.

Tier 2 will likely be Barrett and Morant. Between the two, I like Barrett better.

In general, as none of us knows where the Knicks will pick, I like Keldon Johnson and Matisse Thybulle in general. Neither are value for the top pick nor a top 5 pick. Thybulle could fall into the 2nd round and I think he could so some real damage defensively in the league. Johnson looks like he could be a Tier 3/4 type first round pick. Johnson doesn't have jump out of the gym athleticism, but he's got good mechanics/fundamentals/good motor. I like him a quite a bit. Sort of deeper in the draft, Tyler Herro and Shamorie Ponds are interesting. Ponds is interesting in part because while I think Chris Mullin was a horrible GM, I do think he's an interesting coach and I think some of his style has rubbed off on Ponds.

Recap, if the Knicks win the draft lottery, look for a trade, if no value there, then draft Zion.

If the Knicks get a Tier 2 pick, then take Barrett, and if they end up with the third overall pick, I think you have to wait until the draft gets closer to see if anyone overtakes Morant.

If the Knicks get a Tier 3 pick ( sort of in the range where they have been drafting the past few years), then Keldon Johnson

If the Knicks can get an early 2nd rounder, I like Thybulle, Ponds and Herro in that order as of right now. That could change as the draft approaches. Herro might move up a little and be out of reach for a 2nd rounder. Hard to say now as he could be a late 20s guy.

Bol Bol I've left out of the equation because I can't be objective about him. Was a big fan of Manute Bol and that will color my view too much. Same with Dom Sabonis, his dad was an epic player and it was too hard to be objective as a fan of the game there.

Outside of a Top 3 pick, I like Keldon Johnson best. I also recognize there are issues for value for slot. I.E. if the Knicks get the 5th pick, Johnson wouldn't approximate the most value on the board against the marketplace to take him there.

Again, none of you are addressing the lingering SPECIFIC questions with Zion. The personal attacks on me now are overriding any basketball discussion at all. I can take the bull****, I have before, but you guys are devaluing the board as a whole. I can tell you to go **** yourselves and keep posting, but many potential new guys won't want to eat your **** and will walk. But that's an issue for Andrew / Martin to deal with, not me.

These:

Can he develop his right hand?

Can Zion run an NBA grade offense consistently?

How will Zion adjust/counteradjust to the full NBA regular season grind compared to his college slate of games?

How will Zion react to playing against a higher grade of competition in the NBA?

How will Zion adjust/counter adjust when, like most rookies, he won't get many or any calls in his favor by the refs?

are relevant to every single players who has ever entered the NBA draft. But I'll go ahead and try to answer them.

1. Can Zion defend the rim?

I think he's going to be a very good to great help defender but I don't expect him to be a rim defender in the vein of Gobert or Mitch. Putting up 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks/game is really damned impressive and, from what I can tell, has only been done by one other freshman in history, Nerles Noel.

2. Can Zion play the wing?

This is an odd question considering the first one you asked. Why would a wing need to defend the rim? I think he can on occasion but I'm expecting him to play mostly the 4 and the 5 in small-ball lineups.

3. What position will he play?

Mostly the 4 and 5 in small-ball lineups. Not that it really matters, we're seeing more and more of positionless basketball in the NBA. What position does Giannis play? Or Lebron? Or Ben Simmons?

4. What will he look like as an undersized pivot that lacks the length to compensate?

Didn't you just ask if he was playing the wing? Why is he now an undersized pivot? Let me answer your question with a question of my own. If Zion is going to mostly play the 4, how many 4s in the league would be able to take advantage of his size?

5. Can he fix his shot mechanics? How will he fix them?

Hopefully since a consistent outside shot will only make him more dangerous on the court. He'd fix it by getting a shooting coach and practicing.

6. Can he develop his right hand?

Maybe? How many players can go both right and left? Isn't the fact that he's a lefty a bonus since opposing players aren't used to that?

7. Can Zion run an NBA grade offense consistently?

Wait, wasn't he just a pivot? Is he a PG now or is he Jokic? His playmaking/passing compares very favorably to other playmaking bigs in college. His AST% is just a tick below Blake Griffin's at Oklahoma, 16.7 and 16.3 in Blake's two years 16.5 for Zion this year. AST% isn't available for Webber but he put up 2.8 and 3.1 assists/40min compared to Zion's 3.1/40min.

8. How will Zion adjust/counteradjust to the full NBA regular season grind compared to his college slate of games?

I have no idea. How will any rookie do this?

9. How will Zion react to playing against a higher grade of competition in the NBA?

I think he'll be able to compensate. By all accounts he's an incredibly hard worker. How will any rookie react?

10. How will Zion adjust/counter adjust when, like most rookies, he won't get many or any calls in his favor by the refs?

No idea. How will any rookie adjust?

11. He pivots out of his shoes and injured his knee. How will that impact how teams look at him now?

Who cares how other teams look at him? I only care about how we look at him. And it's not like he was doing anything crazy when his shoes broke. It was just a freak accident due to crappy sneaker construction.

Now some questions for you. You didn't really answer my question about who your preferred pick is but you implied it was RJ Barrett.

1. Is Barrett going to be a good shooter in the pros? He's only shooting 32% on 3s and 68% on FTs (compared to 29% and 66% for Zion).

2. FT shooting is very predictive for shooting ability in general. How effective will Barrett be in the pros if he's a mediocre to bad shooter?

3. Can RJ become a playmaker? He's playing next to two of the top HS recruits in the country and one of the most dominant offensive players in recent NCAA history. Despite this, he takes 50% more shots than anyone else on the team. Does he know the difference between a good shot and a bad shot?

4. What position is RJ going to defend? How good is his man and help defense?

5. If we do draft RJ but then sign one or more of the max free agents available, how will he adjust to having to play off the ball? He currently has a 32.1 USG% which is higher than any Kyrie season and all but 1 Durant season. In fact, the last Knick to have a USG% that high was Melo 4 years ago.

7. Can he develop his right left hand?

8. Can Rj run an NBA grade offense consistently?

9. How will RJ adjust/counteradjust to the full NBA regular season grind compared to his college slate of games?

10. How will RJ react to playing against a higher grade of competition in the NBA?

11. How will RJ adjust/counter adjust when, like most rookies, he won't get many or any calls in his favor by the refs?