Which NBA Team Would Zion Williamson Improve Most?
Zion Williamson is one of the hottest prospects heading into the 2019 NBA Draft, with the supreme athlete filling up highlight reels with dunks and blocked shots. But as teams get ready for the NBA Draft, there is some debate as to which team could most use the help of Zion to take the biggest steps forward in the years to come.
New York Knicks
The Knicks might be the worst team in the NBA right now, having traded away their best player in Kristaps Porzingis. Their odds to win the NBA Finals this season are at an unfathomable +999999, as even competing for a playoff spot in the second half of the season sounds like a fantasy. But Zion Williamson could be a piece of a quick turnaround for the Knicks.
New York has a ton of salary cap space at their disposal next season, with players like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant being linked to the franchise. Those two, plus Williamson, could make it an instant contender. The question would be whether or not those players would be happy playing under controversial Knicks owner James Dolan.
Phoenix Suns
The Western Conference is the tougher of the two conferences in the NBA, and the Phoenix Suns are by far the weakest team in it. They are over 10 games behind the next worst team in the conference, and are also at +300000 to +999999 odds to have a miracle turnaround this season. But the addition of Zion would make them an interesting team in a hurry, even in a crowded Western Conference.
If the Suns can keep all-star Devin Booker from leaving them when eligible, the Suns could have Williamson join him and last year's top pick DeAndre Ayton. That trio would take the Suns from being an overmatched squad to competing among the league's more competent sides. They would likely need more help to become legitimate contenders, but they would compete for the playoffs if they were to bring Zion in.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the same boat as the Knicks and Suns odds-wise, thanks to their playoff chances having evaporated in the first half of the season. And after losing LeBron James after last year's NBA Finals, it isn't hard to see why the Cavaliers have had such a hard time getting their act together in the 2018-2019 season. But Zion would give the Cavs another chance at having a star in this league, which could propel them back to instant relevance.
Williamson doesn't appear to be as versatile as James was when he first started in the league, lacking the ability to distribute the ball as well as James always has. But his scoring and athleticism are very reminiscent of James in his early days, which would combine nicely with the skills that Kevin Love brings to the table. And with point guard Collin Sexton being capable of handling the passing load, the Cavs would have a team that covered most of the bases needed to be above-average in the NBA. They would still be flawed, but the playoffs in the Eastern Conference would be more than attainable for a Zion-led Cavs squad.