At 6-7, 285 pounds, NBA New Orleans’ Pelicans’ dynamic rookie forward Zion Williamson is a genetic freak who is a bigger version of Hall of Famer Charles Barkley.
But it appears, for all his size, explosion and intensity, Superman has his kryptonite.
Williamson will be out for “weeks” because of a knee injury. He was scheduled to make his debut at Madison Square Garden in Friday night’s preseason game against the Knicks but remained in New Orleans for treatment and tests. The injury is reportedly not severe. Still, it’s the same knee that Williamson sprained at Duke when his sneaker blew out. The other knee prompted him to abandon the NBA Summer League in Vegas after playing just nine minutes.
Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters that Williamson probably sustained the latest injury on Sunday against the Spurs and downplayed the concern with a little humor.
“He’s not dead, guys,” Gentry told reporters at the Garden. “He’s a smart enough player that whenever he comes back, he will be fine. I don’t see him falling behind in a situation where he’s got all of this make up work to do. He’ll be fine. It’s a pretty simple system anyway.
“He’s a solid, solid guy and very mature for a 19-year old. So, we’ll just see what goes on there.’’
In four preseason games prior to this injury, Williamson was the driving force for the Pelicans, averaging 23 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 71 percent from the field. He attacked the rim with ease, using his quickness to get to the rim and get clean looks at the goal.
Still, perhaps, as scouts cautioned before the draft, Williamson is too big to launch into orbit multiple times per game without gravity having an effect.
Hopefully, this is just a minor setback. Williamson is a unique athlete with a gravitating personality who has the potential to be a generational player. But knees don’t get better with age. A simple solution would be for Williamson to drop weight. It’ll likely detract from the mystique of his athleticism, but vertical leap is worthless if Williamson can’t get on the court.
The NBA is more about speed than power these days. LeBron James cut weight a few years ago to accommodate. The rest of the league, per usual, followed LeBron.
Of all the NBA comparisons to Williamson, the two that make the most sense — although certainly aren’t perfect — are Blake Griffin and Larry Johnson. Both were high-flying, massive big men. Both entered the league with enormous hype as No. 1 picks. Unfortunately, both had careers derailed by injury. Griffin and Johnson reinvented themselves by developing a perimeter game, but the rim-shattering styles were not sustainable. Griffin’s left knee went out and Johnson’s back was the main issue. Williamson weighs more than both.
In the short term, Williamson’s knee is a blow to New York fans who bought a ticket for Friday’s game. The Nets host the Pelicans on Nov. 4 — their seventh game of the regular season — and it seems likely Williamson will miss his only scheduled appearance in Brooklyn.
