Washington Wizards: Zion Williamson is worth the tank

The Washington Wizards will be at the crossroads of their season soon and they need to consider tanking to get Zion Williamson.

A loss to the New Orleans Pelicans Wednesday night put the Washington Wizards with a record of 8-13. This has them 1.5 games back of the 8th spot.

Expectations were high entering the season as most assumed the Wizards were going to be on the brink of taking their game to the next level. The hype surrounding the offseason additions of Jeff Green, Austin Rivers, and Dwight Howard had everyone believing they could do some damage in the Eastern Conference.

However, nothing has gone according to plan. The defense is at an all-time worst, the chemistry is questionable, and their play has been inconsistent. All leading to a sub .500 record and a 9th spot in the East.

If they weren’t so close to the 8th position, the team might have started blowing up the roster. Washington still believes they can make some noise. Unfortunately most fans don’t.

As of now, the Wizards don’t stand a chance at beating the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, or the Milwaukee Bucks. Best case scenario for the Wizards would be to float around in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings, but what’s the point? It’s clear that the team would lose in the the first round of any playoff matchup if they did make the cut at the end of the season.

Which brings me to my point; Tank the season.

If you haven’t heard of the name Zion Williamson, then you shouldn’t consider yourself a sports fan. Williamson has taken over not just College sports, but the entire sports world. He’s an incredible athlete that has shows resemblance to LeBron James.

RJ Barrett is said to be the number one prospect for this year’s draft class. After watching the first seven games of the Duke Blue Devils season, it’s obvious that Williamson will be the number one pick.

Williamson is an absolute monster. A powerful, explosive athlete that dominates the game with his physical presence, aggressiveness, and dunking abilities. His statue is second to none, standing 6’7″ and weighing 285 pounds of solid muscle. In addition, Williamson has a 6-10 wingspan with a vertical of 45. At the college level, he is virtually unstoppable and a natural born scorer.

Currently, Williamson is averaging 21.3 points, 9 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. He can bring down the house on both ends of the floor.

This is only one example of what Williamson can do on the court. One of his countless strengths is that he’s constantly in attack mode. On top of this, he’g got guard-like agility and can defend multiple positions with his quick lateral movement.

Wait, it gets better…

Williamson shows flashes of high level passing ability. He enjoys bringing the ball up the court and creating for his teammates. He’s got impressive handles for a young player of his size and has developed his right hand dribble, since he’s a lefty, to become dangerous driving in both directions.

His weakness, if you want to call it that, would be centered around his shooting. His jumper is inconsistent and needs further development before it can be relied on. The release of his shot isn’t that smooth either.

Washington has been dealing with John Wall’s inconsistent jump shot for almost a decade now. Going through the growing pains wouldn’t be to much to ask of D.C. once again.

Zion is a once in a lifetime prospect. Tanking for this caliber of player would be absolutely worth it. Starting over with him as the focal point would be exciting and promising for not only the fans, but the entire Wizards organization.

Think about it Washington. Even if he turns out to be a poor-mans LeBron James, he would still be a phenomenal investment.