Zion Williamson Compared to Suns Legend
Phoenix Suns legend Charles Barkley was undoubtedly a monster during his time in the league, and though he was adamant he wasn't a role model, it's hard for basketball players of his size and stature to not look up to the Round Mound of Rebound.
The game is vastly different in the modern era, though Barkley's skill set would transfer quite well into today's game. Technology hasn't made body rejuvenation possible (yet!) so we can only compare similar body types and play-styles for modern players.
That's where the comparisons between Barkley and New Orleans Pelicans big man Zion Williamson come into play.
Bleacher Report recently went through Hall of Fame comparisons for some of the biggest up and coming stars in the NBA, and the comp for Williamson was a no-brainer according to Greg Swartz:
Zion Williamson Compared to Charles Barkley
"Both power forwards stand a bit undersized at 6'6" yet pack a ton of muscle into their frames. Calling Williamson a more athletic Barkley isn't a shot at Chuck, but rather a huge compliment to Zion given that the Hall-of-Fame forward had a ton of bounce in his prime as well," said Swartz.
"In addition to their size, there's a lot of similarities to each's game as well.
"Williamson and Barkley are/were nightmares to stop in transition, with both possessing the ability to grab a rebound and take it coast to coast before freight-training their way through traffic for a thunderous dunk.
"Using strength and athleticism to make up for a lack of height, both are/were experts at catching an entry pass and backing down an opponent before simply going through them for two.
"Of course, like basketball fans in the 1980's never saw a player quite like Barkley, we've never seen a talent like Williamson, either.
"When healthy, the 23-year-old Pelicans forward is still one of the most dominant forces in the league, just like Barkley was 40 years before."
Williamson entered the league with so much promise after terrorizing the college scene at Duke, garnering comparisons to the likes of LeBron James. Williamson has battled injuries during his short stint in the NBA but still hopefully has a long road ahead of him.
