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Coach K likes the idea that a season is a lifetime - liked it so much that he used that as a book title.
In the case of Zion Williamson’s sole season in Durham, that season was a lifetime of memories. People who saw him in Cameron will never forget. We’ll be telling our grandchildren we saw him play.
There was so much goodness though that it’s easy to forget just how special he is. Take this play from the Florida State game in the ACC Tournament.
Zion gets the rebound off of a missed FSU shot, takes two dribbles...then throws an insane bounce pass to Tre Jones. He lets go of it at the top of the key while Jones is just past the half-court line with FSU’s Trent Forrest in hot pursuit.
The thing is...Forrest sees the pass coming. He’s trying to catch up but Williamson is just too strong and throws the ball too fast. Forrest sticks his hand out to intercept but Williamson planned it too well. Forrest actually lunges a little and still can’t get to it. Nor can he catch Jones to block the shot.
The entire play took just three dribbles. It’s a master class in power and deception. Machiavelli would have been impressed.
People like Williamson because he’s a bull around the basket and he can jump quicker, higher and faster than just about anyone else despite weighing 284.
Because his season started late due to his injury and the NBA’s ended early (or will) due to the Coronavirus, people still haven’t gotten a full glimpse of his abilities. What they’ll learn soon is that he has a phenomenal basketball intelligence. His physical gifts are surreal but his sense of the game and his ability to impose himself of int offensively and disrupt it defensively are just about unbelievable. Put them together and you have a package that is unprecedented.