Duke Basketball: 10 predictions for the Blue Devils’ 2018-19 season

6. Williamson’s impact will be felt most on defense

Very few high school recruits have been as hyped as Zion Williamson. The No. 5 recruit in the 2018 class, Williamson has received a ton of media coverage for his high-flying dunks and insane athleticism. At 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, Williamson is insanely strong and skies up tremendously high for his size. A clear-cut future NBA player, he boasts unbelievable physical gifts and consistently uses these to his advantage.

Despite all this, though, Williamson is not an exceedingly polished offensive player. He is not a very good shooter nor does he consistently finish through traffic well enough. Of course, if he gets the ball in transition, though, defenses might be better off just getting out of his way. Because offensive superstars Cam Reddish and R.J. Barrett are already on the roster, Williamson will be hard-pressed to become a top scoring option for the Blue Devils. This, though, might not be a bad thing for his development.

With Williamson potentially being the third or fourth scoring option, he can focus on exerting more effort on the defensive end of the floor. With his physical and athletic gifts, Williamson has the potential to be a dynamite defender with consistent effort. He projects as a small-ball power forward for the Blue Devils and he is a switchable defender across multiple positions. He can either lock a wing down on the perimeter or play the role of a rim-protector around the basket. These versatile defensive abilities will make him a focal point of Duke’s defense.