Zion vs RJ: Who should the lottery teams take?

As basketball fans we are entering uncharted territory when it comes to the current Duke Blue Devils and the 2019 NBA Draft. Duke currently possesses the top three recruits from last season (Cam Reddish, Zion Williamson, and R.J. Barrett) all of which seem sure fire top 5 picks in the upcoming NBA Draft this summer. Despite the trio all aiming to be top lottery picks, the top pick seems to be narrowed down to Barrett vs Zion, so who should be number 1? Today is only January 10th and the teams in the top 5 will surely shuffle between now and draft time, but I will try to dive into all of the bottom 5 teams and decide who would be the best fit. Team needs will be taken loosely into consideration due to the fact that the trade deadline is upcoming, along with factoring in potential injuries or second half improvements. 

Initial Breakdown

The Zion vs RJ debate is a multifaceted  comparison that will be discussed a ton over the next few months. Initially my instinct would be to take RJ Barrett based on position and play style. The state of modern basketball is getting smaller and smaller, with a larger focus on shooting the basketball. Barrett is a 6'7" SG/SF with great handles and a knack for getting to the rim. He has not shot the lights out from 3, shooting only 31% so far this season on an average of 5 attempts a game. It is also a lot easier to build a team around a young guard, they are becoming more versatile and often make the players around them much better. This is no different for Barrett, but his biggest obstacle in the battle against his Duke teammate will be that "Wow" factor. RJ has flair, but it is not anything particularity unique from the guard position. Now Zion on the other hand….. Zion is an owner's dream. Williamson first graced the basketball community a few years back when he was a freshman in high school, throwing down video game jams on his hopeless opponents. Zion is also 6'7 but has 83 pounds on RJ, with this often being the reason opponents get out of the way when he is on the fast-break. Zion will sell tickets, the basketball media is all over him as of now and he will continue to be a 285 pound human highlight reel wherever he lands. Williamson is seemingly position-less in the NBA for the time being, but his strengths will continue to pan out and we will get a better grip for his role in the league. Zion's final trump card is the mix of his highlight ability and the increase of player movement in the current NBA. Great players want to play with great players, and hardly anything will stop current players from getting what they want, meaning if Zion puts on a show, the players will come knocking in free agency. 

Team Breakdown (from teams 5 - 1)

5. Atlanta Hawks - RJ Barrett

The Hawks are currently are projected the 5th pick in the NBA draft, meaning their hopes (much like teams 3 &4) of getting either Zion or RJ seem slim, but a lot can change.  In last year's draft the Hawks made one of the most questionable transactions ever, selecting and then trading the rights of Luka Doncic to the Mavs for Oklahoma star Trae Young. The deal was a risk that looks to be a losing bet so far, as Doncic seems well on his way to Rookie of the Year honours. Despite the controversial move, Young is still a well liked player and a good guard for the youthful Hawks and is a player that Atlanta can build/rally around. With this in mind, the Hawks have a lot of holes that need filling all over the court, which makes their pick RJ Barrett. We know Barrett's positional abilities, and with his ball handling capabilities he can spread the floor more for Young. Trae Young busted onto the scene at Oklahoma due to his "Steph Curry like" shooting abilities, but is struggling to get those same looks at the NBA level. Young is not a pick and roll or post feeding PG, so I do believe RJ Barrett would be a better fit with Young as opposed to Zion Williamson. 

4. New York Knicks - Zion Williamson

This is the team in the top 5 that gave me the most headaches when thinking about this topic, as both guys can make a good fit from a basketball perspective. The Knicks have Kevin Knox and Kristaps Porzingis as their bigs right now, so the initial idea would be to play RJ Barrett alongside Tim Hardaway Jr. at the guard position however…… this is New York we are talking about. The Knicks are one of the most iconic teams in the NBA, playing at the greatest arena in modern sports, and in the biggest North American city. The Knicks have been awful for a while now and are dying for a competitive team again. Zion Williamson as a New York Knick would essentially break the internet, and with him alongside the other bigs on the team (Zion as a SF), the Knicks would have a fantastic core. The wildest of all wildcards in this situation currently lies in the Bay Area. As much as Kevin Durant would like to dispute it, the Knicks pose the greatest threat to poach KD from the world champions. If this were to happen, the Knicks would have to make some decisions about their lineup structure, however I do not think they would mind having this problem. Kristaps, Zion and KD… Dear Knicks, please lose more games this season. 

3. Chicago Bulls - RJ Barrett

In 2018 the Chicago Bulls selected Wendell Carter Jr. in the NBA Draft, securing a great cornerstone athlete to build around in the Windy City. Carter Jr. is a great player that is having a nice rookie year along side Zach Lavine and Lauri Markkanen. Those 3 together along with the revival of Jabari Parker make for a great young core to grow around in another great hoops market, but they are really just missing a pure ball handler. We have seen Zach Lavine skywalk during All Star weekends and know of his athletic abilities, however he is their only reliable guard on the current roster. The Bulls rank 28th in the league in 3 pointers made, and although RJ won't single handily turn that stat around, the ball needs to get into the hands of Chicago guards more often to spread the floor for the bigs. Barrett seems like a good fit for a team that lacks explosive guard play, and in RJ they will get a secure ball handler who can score all over the court. 

2. Phoenix Suns - Zion Williamson

At teams 1 & 2 we start to find the most realistic candidates for both of these studs, and it seems like if someone was to create this list ever year since 2012, the Suns would fall around the same spot. Needless to say the Suns need players everywhere, their best players are Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton which is a good start, but the Suns play in the hungry monster that is the Western Conference and need a lot of time to get back to relevance. The Suns' players also find themselves as the third party to an ongoing strife between the fans and ownership, with threats of relocating the team looming. With all this considered, given the state of the fan base and team build up, it has to be Zion Williamson in order to sell tickets and provide hope. At the end of the day, Zion next to Ayton sounds great, but so does RJ next to Booker, so really the popularity aspect plays a large role here for the Suns. Many draft boards see them getting the second pick, but being in the west and scratching Booker minutes before games shows signs that the Suns will be the first on the clock in June.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers - Zion Williamson


Well if there is ever a team that needs a ticket seller more than the Cavs in the NBA I would be as surprised as ever. Cleveland has been through a roller coster of emotions when it comes to hoops, with the arrival of Lebron, to the departure of Lebron, to the again arrival of Lebron and then on top of that the 4 straight finals appearances…. only for him to leave again. The drop in attendance at "The Q" is honestly unbelievable, because one cannot fathom how much one player can change the dynamic of a whole team let alone a city. The building is empty, the tickets are cheap, and the team is junk. Cleveland needs a pulse again, they need Zion Williamson. There is no doubt that Barrett would fit in just fine, but with Collin Sexton already holding the keys to the offence, another guard is not as needed as the freight train that is Zion. There are so many resemblances in the games of Zion and Lebron (minus the shooting) that it seems imperative that Cleveland does whatever it can to get the next Lebron to land in Cleveland. 

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