Zion Williamson or Luka Doncic: Who’s the Better Franchise Player?

The Case for Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson captured the imagination of NBA fans when he was still ripping down rims at Duke.

Few players have entered the league with as much hype, but it had to be put on hold because of an early season injury.

Since Zion made his debut for the New Orleans Pelicans he’s been the talk of the league, captivating fans and his peers with his rare combination of power and leaping ability.

Zion Williamson averaged 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in his 19 games with the New Orleans Pelicans and generated a lot of excitement around the league in the process.

Here’s the case for Zion as the best franchise player.

He’s Barely Scratched the Surface

The fact that Zion Williamson is even in this discussion is testament to how good he is. He’s only 19-years-old and has played just 19 games, but what a start.

Zion seemed to break a record every night, including most consecutive 20-point games by a teenager and was putting himself in the same breath as the all-time greats.

If Zion Williamson had a full season, he almost undoubtedly would have won Rookie of the Year, but he still had the New Orleans Pelicans in the playoff hunt and might have gotten there anyway had the season not been suspended.

He’s so good already and can still be so much better, which has to scare the other 29 teams in the league.

Zion Williamson is a Unicorn

It’s hard to think of a 285 lb. man as a unicorn, but it’s also hard to imagine one who can do the things Zion does at that size.

We’ve seen players with power and we’ve seen players with hops, but there has rarely been a guy who has so much of both.

Zion’s size and power create mismatches all over the floor, as he can get around slower centers effortlessly and bully most everyone else.

Sometimes his strength is almost unfair. Ask Kevin Knox:

But Zion Williamson isn’t all strength. He’s also flashed a nice touch around the rim and shoots a crazy 58.9 percent overall. His footwork and spin moves are already devastating and will be even better as he gets more reps.

He’s virtually unstoppable in the lane and has shown enough of a shot to think he might develop one of those eventually as well.

Like Luka, Zion Williamson is hard to defend, creates mismatches and changes the other team’s game plan.

Zion’s Intangibles

Every now and then players come along who capture the imagination. The way Michael Jordan soared through the air was different. There was something magical and we couldn’t look away.

Zion Williamson has that quality.

He’s a 285 lb. man with a 45-inch vertical leap and soft hands, which has already made him one of the best players to watch catch an alley oop:

Aside from the fact that Zion is really fun to watch, he’s a soft-spoken, nice kid with a big smile who seems to be a genuinely nice guy.

He’s clearly the next face of the NBA and his jersey will be a top seller for the next decade, not just in New Orleans but all over the world.

The Verdict

It is these intangibles that give Zion Williamson a slight edge over Luka as a franchise player.

Doncic may be better now and is certainly a guy any team would love to have, but he doesn’t have the indefinable quality that inspires kids to imitate him in the driveway.

Luka is a great player and could be one of the all-time best point guards, mentioned in the same breath as Magic Johnson, but to be honest, I won’t be telling my kids about him.

Zion Williamson is the stuff of legends and even if Luka is slightly better, Zion is the guy that I’d build my franchise around.

The New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks were lucky to land the league’s next two superstars and this debate will rage on, but one thing is for certain, it’s going to be fun to watch them battle.

Thanks for reading and stay safe out there!