Fans call out ESPN over Zion Williamson’s surprising 2020 NBA Rank
Zion #Zion
With only a few weeks left until the start of the 2020-21 NBA regular season, ESPN has been rolling out its new ranking of the top 100 players in the league in 2020.
Pelicans star Lonzo Ball landed at No. 54 on Tuesday, a result that sparked some lively debate on NBA Twitter – but the disagreements over Ball’s placement paled in comparison to what erupted on Wednesday.
Zion Williamson, who played just 24 games in his rookie season due to injury, moved up 23 positions in ESPN’s NBA rank from his rookie season, to No. 19.
That put Williamson 12 spots ahead of reigning Rookie of the Year Ja Morant, who is ranked 31st, and also ahead of Bradley Beal, Karl-Anthony Towns, Trae Young and Russell Westbrook.
Williamson was undoubtedly impressive over his opening 24 games, scoring 22.5 points per game on 58.3 percent shooting, and posting an eyebrow-raising PER of 24.1. But is it too soon to expect the 20-year-old to produce as a top-20 player? Many fans seem to think ESPN missed the mark with their ranking.