Zion Williamson’s Career Future: NBA Great or NBA Bust? The Story of the Injury Plague
Photo Credit: Keenan Hairston
By: Tialena Evans
The 19 year old, former Duke Blue Devil phenom, has leaped his way into the big league, but with early onset injuries his playing career could be in trouble.
Zion Williamson made his presence known as he drew national attention in high school for his explosive slam dunks and superhuman hops. As a Salisbury, N.C. native, coming out of Spartanburg Day School in South Carolina, Williamson was a consensus five star recruit and ranked among the top five players in the 2018 class.
Knee Troubles Ahead
I’m sure as an avid basketball fan that you’ve heard of foul trouble, but what about knee trouble? Well, one thing’s for sure, Williamson could tell you all about it, as he’s had his run with it first hand.
On February 20, 2019, in a rival game against North Carolina, Williamson suffered a grade 1 knee sprain only 36 seconds into the game after his foot ripped through his Nike shoe, causing him to slip. He did not return to the game and missed almost a month of play while he recovered. This triggered big talk around not only the media, but amongst current and former NBA players, who all chimed in on whether he should sit out the rest of his freshman season to preserve his body for the NBA Draft. Williamson responded to these comments by rejecting any suggestions of sitting out, saying he would be letting his teammates down.
Photo Credit- Keenan Hairston
He went on to be selected as the number one overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft to the New Orleans Pelicans. As an eager teenager ready to put the league on notice, his summer was over just as quickly as it began. In his Summer League debut against the New York Knicks, he was ruled out for the rest of the team’s games due to a knee-to-knee injury, resulting in a bruised kneecap.
His official NBA rookie campaign was put on pause, yet again, when he tore his meniscus in October during a preseason game. This marked his 3rd knee injury this year, which has to be some cause for concern on knee health from the Pelicans staff, and Williamson himself.
A Familiar Timeline
Of course Williamson isn’t the only basketball star to find himself in a continuous cycle of knee injuries, but one player in particular favors Williamson and his struggles to a tee. That former NBA player is Greg Oden.
Gregory Oden Jr., a Buffalo, N.Y. native, was also selected as the first overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft to the Portland Trail Blazers. As a big man coming out of Ohio State with impressive shot block defense and the ability to beat his man around the rim, Oden was praised by notable NBA figures, such as Steve Kerr, as a “once-in-a-decade player”. In contrary, Zion Williamson was also praised by NBA champion and All-Star Kevin Durant as a “once-in-a-generation type of player”.
Photo Credit - Keith Allison
Oden found himself in early injury trouble as he underwent microfracture surgery on his ailing right knee prior to his rookie season, which caused him to miss its entirety. During the 2008-2009 season, Oden made his official NBA debut against the LA Lakers, but it didn’t go exactly as he had planned. Oden left the game only after 13 scoreless minutes due to a foot injury and stayed out of play for 2 weeks.
In February 2009, Oden would then suffer from a chipped kneecap in a knee-to-knee collision against a Golden State Warriors opponent, causing him to miss three weeks. Later that year in December he injured his left knee again, this time fracturing his left patella in the first quarter of a game. He was ruled out for the rest of the season.
The following year in November, the team had announced that Oden would undergo a microfracture surgery on his left knee which ended his 2010–11 season. That marked his third NBA season cut short due to major injury.
Oden underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in February 2012. He was scheduled for a similar procedure on his left knee shortly after, however, during the operation surgeons found further damage to his articular cartilage which prompted them to perform his third microfracture surgery.
Oden’s NBA career soon began to near the darkness at the end of the semi-lit tunnel, signifying his plagued playing career. In March 2012, he was waived by the Trail Blazers to create room on the roster for trade acquisitions. He then announced his decision to sit out of the 2012–13 season to focus on rehabbing his injuries. The following year, he signed a one-year deal with the Miami Heat, then the following year after that he signed a one-year deal with the Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association. This marked the end of his professional playing career.
What Is The Future For Zion Williamson?
The sad story of how Greg Oden, a former number one overall pick, became known as one of the league’s greatest NBA busts proves to show that greatness can be overshadowed and plagued by injury.
Williamson has already shown early signs of the injury plague, suffering from three knee injuries all in the same year. Many believe that his weight could be a contributing factor to these injuries. He is one of the heaviest players in the NBA, coming in at a convincing 285 lbs. Charles Barkley, one of the league's most dominant power forwards, says that Williamson just needs to find his ideal playing weight in order to be successful. The explosive nature in which he plays at and the amount of force that comes down on his lower body as gravity forces him to regain contact with the hardwood is definitely a cause for concern.
As Williamson continues to rehab his knee injury after a successful surgery back in October, the Pelicans staff is more focused now on working to help him improve the kinetic chain of his body. This includes Williamson practicing how to walk and run differently to minimize stress in certain muscles and joints such as his knee. Doing so can also minimize the chance of injury to other parts of his body which could be overcompensating to help balance everything out.
If this rehab method proves to be beneficial for Williamson and he is able to get himself to a healthy playing weight, then his future as an NBA great could stay well in tact for as long as we know it.
On the contrary, if Williamson‘s career continues to be interrupted with injuries, surgeries, and missed playing time, then the next great NBA bust could be well on its way.
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:
