Duke Blue Devils freshman Zion Williamson has catapulted to the top of draft boards across the country as he continues to add to his highlight reel of jaw-dropping dunks on a weekly basis.
And though his rim-rocking finishes are plastered all over social media, Williamson is more than just a prolific dunker. That's something that 21-year NBA veteran Vince Carter can relate to.
(Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
The former UNC high-flyer recently praised the projected #1 overall pick and offered some advice during a discussion with Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com.
"He'll be ready [for the NBA]," Carter said. "One thing I learned when I got in this league is that yes, I'm athletic, but there's gonna be a lot of guys up here that are athletic. What else do you bring to the table? I think he's going through that phase, kind of what I went through. Everybody looks at 'he can dunk, he can dunk,' but now when you have guys that are super athletic, then they're going to start saying, 'What else can he do?'"
"He's super, super athletic," Carter added. "He has an NBA body already. I think, more than anything, with all his ability, I just say take his time, develop his game, because when you get here, it's a different beast as far as expectations. A lot of guys try to get here and just develop while they get here."
"He has the potential to be, obviously, the No. 1 pick whenever he decides to come out," Carter said. "I think that's understood."
(Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
Williamson's game was on full display Tuesday night as he stuffed the stat sheet with a career-high 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and a blocked shot in Duke's 87-65 victory against Wake Forest.
So far this season, the 18-year old phenom is averaging 20.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while leading the #1 ranked Blue Devils to a 13-1 record. Next up for Duke is an ACC showdown against #13 Florida State on Saturday afternoon.