Charles Barkley is a poor mans Zion Williamson

[scuzzy]

Lakers bigs head hunted that morbidly obese bust rookie Zion and somehow he still feasted (29, 6, 3)


Don't think i've seen AD look so helpless all season than he did last night, looked terrified to even score on the other end. Kept going to the bench to treat bumps n bruises (21 pts, 6-21 fg)


This guy Zion is becoming a problem much sooner than expected.... Well tbh, some expected it


21yo rookie Barkley: 14 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast, on 54%, 16%3p, 28mpg

19yo rookie Zion: 24 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, on 57%fg, 41%3p, 27mpg


Fun Fact: Chuck didn't summit 24ppg until he turned 24yo @ 40mpg




and for the lulz

[Kblaze8855]

Charles Barkley is a youtube clip to you.

[scuzzy]

Charles Barkley is a youtube clip to you.

Yeah, can't lie back in 86 my parents didn't have the black box with 1000 channels to catch Philly games. And well, ofc since league pass didn't exist

Like most people it consisted of WGN spamming Bulls, a rare local Cavs broadcast and the couple few nationally broadcasted weekly's (Bulls games)

Love being able to point and click now on any old game and revisit, seamlessly.

[Gotterdammerung]

Charles Barkley was overweight as a rookie, and came off the bench for a veteran team that won the title the year prior.

Once Barkley shed the extra weight, and the Sixers built around him, he became the unstoppable Round Mound of Rebound.

The funny thing about Zion is that while he is a very good inside scorer, and has an athletic edge over most opposing bigs, he just doesn't rebound well.

[FireDavidKahn]

Zion is part of the LeBron Fam

[hiphopanonymous]

They don't play the same in my opinion. They might look similar or bully similarly going after rebounds or rising for a block I think but their practiced moves and polish look different.

I think it's because Zion actually has a different set of tools and as he admitted he is not emulating anyone. He's what I'd imagine you'd get if you put Michael Jordan's fast-twitch muscle fiber and central nervous system (for balance) into a frame identical in shape to Wes Unseld. That's not the exact recipe Barkley was, Barkley was his own thing and he had a different skillset as a result.

Barkley at his peak in the very early 90's was at one point a top two player in the NBA - Probably only MJ was better in the very early 90's. Zion could get a status like this but only time will tell, he has already proved he's got incredible potential. He bullies everyone he plays against with zero exceptions. He looks like a man among boys capable of easily overpowering all players in the league if he gets room for a one-step jump (which he frequently makes room for with his quickness).

[tontoz]

Barkley went to an established team. They went to the ECF in his rookie year.

Even though they are built similarly their games are pretty different. Zion is much more of an off ball player, which I like. He roams the baseline looking to get backdoors to the rim or to open up passing lanes. When he does get the ball he does something quickly.

Barkley was more ball dominant. He would post up and when he got the ball he would survey the defense and then decide what to do. He was pretty deliberate but he was so dominant and made such good decisions that being a ball stopper wasn't a problem.

Barkley was far better on the defensive glass. He averaged 7.6 defensive rebounds for his career per 36 minutes. Zion is averaging only 4.7 which is unacceptable.

[Lebron23]

Zion reminded me of Larry Johnson when he played for the Hornets

[Wally450]

I said that Zion was going to be Kenneth Faried.

I'm outing myself before someone else does it.

[Ainosterhaspie]

Zion doesn't deserve to be mentioned with Barkley. This shouldn't even remotely be a discussion until he's nearing the end of his second contract. Barkley was challenging Jordan for best player in the league for a time. Zion isn't close to that yet.

[Phoenix]

Even though they are built similarly their games are pretty different. Zion is much more of an off ball player, which I like. He roams the baseline looking to get backdoors to the rim or to open up passing lanes. When he does get the ball he does something quickly.

That's going to make him both very hard to guard but also very easy to surround with quality players in the long-run. It takes a special talent to anchor an offense off-ball.

[scuzzy]

Zion doesn't deserve to be mentioned with Barkley. This shouldn't even remotely be a discussion until he's nearing the end of his second contract. Barkley was challenging Jordan for best player in the league for a time. Zion isn't close to that yet.

Won't have to wait long to match Barkley's hardware collection, Mailman's either.

One thing is absolute, within the next 24 months Zion evolves into a superstar he'll still be younger than Barkley was the day of 84 draft

It doesn't take rocket science to guesstimate Shaq, Lebron, Zions projection early on in their career. The only thing to stunt his HOF trajectory is injury. If Zion plays the rest of his career (say 15 years) the same way he's done in pre-season and the past month, he'd be a automatic 1st ballot lock 100%

[tontoz]

That's going to make him both very hard to guard but also very easy to surround with quality players in the long-run. It takes a special talent to anchor an offense off-ball.

I agree. I think guys who can play off the ball have more value than most people realize.

When Zion catches the ball he drives quickly/shoots quickly/passes quickly. He rarely holds the ball or dribbles in place.

[90sgoat]

Why do all you idiots respond to Simon?

Do you enjoy that cawksucker polluting the forum?

[Phoenix]

I agree. I think guys who can play off the ball have more value than most people realize.

When Zion catches the ball he drives quickly/shoots quickly/passes quickly. He rarely holds the ball or dribbles in place.

I don't know if the stat is still accurate, but a week or so ago Zion either scored or rebounded 79% of the time he touched the ball. Over 3/4 of his touches result in 'something' happening that's good for the team. And by quick-striking as he does the defense then has to react to him instead of vice versa, constantly in a state of scramble.