284 lbs Zion Williamson Gets Compared to Shaquille O’Neal’s 252 lbs Lifelong ‘Rival and Friend’

Zion Williamson has come into his own after being drafted number 1 overall ahead of the 2019-20 season. He’s earning comparisons to Charles Barkley already.

In his second year in the league, Zion set the world on fire. We had already seen how good he could be in his rookie year, but the limited sample size gave rise to some questions.

However, he shed all those questions in his sophomore season. Zion averaged 27 ppg, 7.2 rbpg, and 3.7 assists per game. The forward was dominant in every way.

He finished the 2020-21 season averaging 20.3 points per game in the paint. When you look at that number historically, that ranks first overall. He finished the year with more points per game in the paint than prime Shaq ever did. Shaq’s highest was 20.1.

After an injury last season, Zion is back in full force on a now-competitive Pelicans team that has playoff aspirations. Zion coming back could pave the way for a deeper run this year than they had last year.

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Zion Williamson earns comparisons to Charles Barkley

Zion’s body type makes him one of the most uniquely dominant physical forces in the league. He stands at 6’6″, but he runs like he’s a guard.

Zion is quick and mobile. You can’t count on his big body to slow him down. That’s why comparisons to other bigs like Karl Malone, Shaquille O’Neal, and other big men who feasted in the paint fall short.

They fail to capture the essence of Zion’s incredible athleticism. That’s why Tim MacMahon decided that the best comparison for Zion would be Charles Barkley.

Barkley wasn’t as big as Zion, standing at 252 pounds and 6’6″, but the body types are incredibly similar. Barkley was extremely quick for a forward of his size, being able to run the fast break and back down opponents when he needed to.

Chuck is Shaq’s best friend, and it makes sense that Zion is getting compared to someone who used to rival Shaq. Barkley’s rebounding prowess set him above everyone else too as despite standing at 6’6″, he was one of the best rebounders in the league.

Zion and the Pelicans are on a mission

Early on, the Pelicans got off to a slow start. They stand at 5-5 this year, and they’re coming off back-to-back losses against the Hawks and Pacers after beating the Warriors.

Now, they need to string together and go on a run. They play the Chicago Bulls tonight, another middling team with higher expectations. For the year, Zion is averaging 23.1 points per game, 6.9 rbpg, and 4.1 assists per game.

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