Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson produces elite scoring efficiency from a set of physical gifts the sport has not previously seen at the power forward position. His 2024-25 averages of 23.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on 57.8% field goal shooting reflect what he can deliver when healthy — a player who scores at a rate and efficiency that would make him a top-five offensive option on most contending teams.

His physical profile is the source of that efficiency: at 6-foot-6 and approximately 280 pounds, he is too fast for power forwards to keep in front of him and too strong for guards who are switched onto him at the pick-and-roll. He generates most of his field goal attempts within 10 feet of the basket, where his combination of strength and speed produces contact that results in free throw opportunities, and his finishing ability over length at the rim is the primary reason his shooting percentage is consistently 10 percentage points above league average.

Williamson won Rookie of the Year in 2019-20 — in a truncated season that began with his return from a preseason knee injury — and has since navigated the tension between his ability when on the floor and the injuries that have prevented him from playing 70-plus-game seasons consistently. His value per minute played is among the highest in the league; his career games-played total relative to his age is the central organizational challenge for New Orleans.

He attended Duke for one season before New Orleans selected him 1st overall in 2019 — the clear consensus top pick in a draft that produced multiple eventual All-Stars.