While closer to LeBron James in size right now, (LeBron is listed at an inch taller but 35 pounds leaner), he actually stacks up a bit more with Charles Barkley.
Barkley, affectionately known as the Round Mound of Rebound, made his living using his girth – in particular his butt – to push opponents out of his way, creating space in the post for his devastating turnaround jumper usually from about 15-feet out. The shot was nearly unstoppable and allowed Barkley to remain an elite scorer, even as his athleticism degraded over the later years of his career.
Although regularly listed as 6’6″, Barkley is truly only about 6’4″. But at 250 pounds, his body-size more appropriately matches with Zion’s. Barkley never was, and Zion at this moment isn’t, as cut and slim as LeBron is. Yet both sill had and have tremendous explosiveness and leaping ability that allow them to score at will.
Consider Barkley in his Phoenix Suns days. Barkley’s post-up game was a thing of beauty.
While entrenched he was able to use his intellect and athleticism to decide where to go with the ball. Would he keep it, back weaker and smaller defenders down and lay the ball up?
Would he back a more worthy opponent low enough, again, using his butt to create space, then attempt a turn-around jumper over his opponent’s fleeting outstretched arms?
Would he catch a cutter and pass the ball down low for an easy dunk? Or would he find the curl man at the arc, a shooter who had just set them self free for a long-range attempt?
Barkley utilized his body in this manner on a regular basis, something that Zion will likely have to do himself as he develops his game.
The key will be early on in his career. At the moment Zion still have more than enough speed, ball-handling ability, and innate leap, to run a fastbreak himself, taking on opponents coast-to-coast, and ending with a layup or dunk in an opponents face, or a trip to the free throw line.
My hope is that Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski is able to convince Zion that this is the way to go both offensively and defensively, and that using his athleticism to become a human vacuum cleaner and body-size to over power opponents in the post is the way to go, probably setting the course for Zion’s entire, and a productive, career.