Zion Williamson’s NBA Draft Stock Soars Following Trip to Canada
- Zion Williamson’s draft stock improved significantly thanks to three dominant performances north of the border
- Can the 18-year-old bruiser knock fellow Dukie RJ Barrett from the top spot?
- Will Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Williamson be taken 1-2-3 in the 2019 NBA Draft?
Zion Williamson probably wishes he could play all of his games in Canada. The high-flying freshman averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 blocks, and two steals per game as Duke laid waste to Ryerson, the University of Toronto, and McGill in a series of tune-ups north of the border.
Williamson’s eye-popping performances made quite an impression on talent evaluators as the 18-year-old’s average ranking for the 2019 NBA Draft improved from 7.0 to 4.5 following his trip to the Great White North. That’s the most significant movement of any player in our top ten, and his stock is likely to soar even more once the NCAA season officially kicks off on November 10th.
It isn’t shocking that Williamson eviscerated his Canadian peers, but it is surprising just how easy he made it look. The 6’6″ bruiser confidently nailed mid-range jumpers, effortlessly finished through contact, and casually jumped over defenders as though they were pylons. He even went 3-4 from deep against Ryerson just for good measure.
It’s still unclear what position Williamson will play in the pros, but there’s little doubt that he’ll be able to contribute immediately upon being drafted.
Top 5 Players According to Average Draft Ranking
| Player | College | Year | Average Draft Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| RJ Barrett | Duke | FR | 1.0 |
| Cameron Reddish | Duke | FR | 2.8 |
| Nassir Little | North Carolina | FR | 3.3 |
| Zion Williamson | Duke | FR | 4.5 |
| Sekou Doumbouya | France | N/A | 5.8 |
Williamson wasn’t the only Dukie who turned heads in Canada. Toronto native RJ Barrett wowed his fellow countrymen by averaging 30.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and five assists per game.
The highly touted Canuck looked especially sharp against U of T as he went 15-for-26 from the floor and scored 35 points in just 31 minutes. Barrett hasn’t wavered from the top spot in our rankings all summer and remains the prohibitive favorite to be selected first overall at the 2019 NBA Draft.
Two other players to keep an eye on are LSU freshman Nazreon Reid and UCLA sophomore Kris Wilkes, both of whom could be headed for the lottery.
| Player | Avg Ranking on July 27 | Avg Ranking on Aug 22 |
|---|---|---|
| Nazreon Reid | 23.3 | 15.3 |
| Kris Wilkes | 21.7 | 16.3 |
Reid posted a double-double in the McDonald’s All-American Game and has looked sharp this summer in Baton Rouge. The 6’10” big man is an absolute beast on the block and should be able to overpower opponents with his sheer size and strength. He’ll need to cut down on his turnovers, but there are few players in the nation who can contain him in the paint.
Wilkes, meanwhile, is coming off a productive freshman season in which he averaged 13.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in close to 30 minutes per game for the Bruins. The 6’8″ guard attended the NBA Draft Combine in May, but ultimately chose to return to Westwood for one more season. He still needs to improve his ballhandling, but he’s a solid playmaker with a knack for posting up smaller defenders.
We’ll keep tabs on both players, as well as Duke’s talented trio, as the NCAA season approaches.
Ryan worked as an Editor and resident Lead NBA and MLB Writer for SB from 2017-19. He has authored his own weekly columns for Fox Sports and AskMen, and has created successful campaigns for the WWE, the NHL, and the NFL. Ryan's critically acclaimed stories have been published in 20 books.
