Wendell Carter Jr. endorses Zion Williamson as NBA Draft's top pick: ‘No doubt about it'

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Wendell Carter knows a thing or two about elite Duke prospects. So it isn’t surprising that he, too, has become enamored with freshman sensation Zion Williamson. He also believes, like many others, that the latest in the line of five-star Blue Devils should be the first player called in June’s draft.

“He’s a for sure No. 1 draft pick. No doubt about it,” said Carter, who spoke with the media for the first time Tuesday after undergoing surgery on his left thumb. “I don’t understand how anybody can pass up his athleticism, his potential.”

Carter isn’t far off in his assessment. Williamson, the 6-foot-7, 285-pound forward, has taken college basketball by storm in his first season in Durham. He’s averaging 21.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 2.0 steals per game and is a nightly feature on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays for his gravity-defying dunks.

He’s arguably the best pro prospect since Anthony Davis in 2012, and he’s as unique a combination of size, strength and skill as the league has seen since LeBron James in 2003. Though his teammate, wing R.J. Barrett, has also solidified himself as a top 2 or 3 pick, there really isn’t anyone in the same ballpark as Williamson.

So it’s not just Carter showing a bias toward his Duke alums. Carter has never shared the floor with Williamson despite being just a year older than him, though he has seen the freshman play. Williamson also attended a Duke game last season where Carter and teammate Marvin Bagley were working toward solidifying themselves as top-10 picks.

Carter hasn’t played with Williamson, but maybe that’ll change in a few months. Even with Monday’s win over the Cavaliers the Bulls still sit at 11-36, the fourth worst record in the league and within shouting distance of Phoenix (11-37), New York (10-35) and Cleveland (9-39). The league’s three worst teams also hold the same 14 percent chance of winning the Lottery while the team with the fourth (12.5%) and fifth (10.5%) worst records hold slightly lower odds.

Whoever gets lucky on May 14 will have the right to draft Williamson, who Carter certainly has bought in on.

“That’s a freak of nature, a once-in-a-generation type player. I believe he’ll be No. 1.”

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