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Another Zion? No way! But here are five players with his traits

RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2019 Team rankings | 2019 Position rankings

2020 Rivals150 | 2020 Position rankings

Top 75 of 2021

Jalen Green
Jalen Green (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)
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When I was asked to come up with five high school prospects that could be the next Zion Williamson-type, I nearly fell off of my seat. There will never, ever be another Williamson, a 6-foot-6, 285-pound behemoth who can thread passes like Jason Kidd, complete dunks like Vince Carter and provide for lockdown defense the way that Ron Artest once did. However, I did begin to think about the five exact traits that best describe Williamson and which high school prospect has those strengths with their game.

MORE: Q&A with Precious Achiuwa | Five storylines from McDonald's week

ATHLETICISM 

Jalen Green was just edged out of the pole position in the 2020 Rivals150, but when it comes to freaky dunks and high-wire plays, he sets the bar. The Fresno native is one of the most gifted prospects in the high school game, but he is more than just an athlete, as is Williamson. The Duke standout is often thought of for just his dunks, and Green has been seen in a similar light. However, the 6-foot-5 scoring guard is blessed with an underrated feel for the game, quick-twitch abilities, an improved perimeter jumper and major value on the defensive end. At the end of the day, though, Green is the elite of the elite whenever it comes to putting his defender on a poster and will be appointment television once his college clock begins in two years. Florida State, Kentucky and Memphis are the primary three to beat.

POWER AND MOTOR 

No one is ever going to knock Williamson for taking a play off, nor are they going to say that he doesn’t have some power under his hood. The same could be said about Isaiah Stewart. The Washington-bound standout is the definition of a hard-playing, competitive and consistently productive interior force. He might not have the rare leaping abilities of Williamson, but he does provide productive stat lines each time he hits the floor. Like Williamson, Stewart’s efficiency is off of the charts. To go a step further, the outgoing, charismatic nature of each is something else. Stewart has as good of a motor and is as powerful as a battering ram around the basket.

He might not suit up for a blueblood next year, as he actually turned down Duke’s offer, but he should be a much-talked about player and a major reason why Washington will again compete for a Pac-12 title.

TRANSCENDENT TALENT 

I will never forget the first time that I saw Williamson. There was just something about him, though I couldn’t put my finger on it. I just knew that he had something that others didn’t. Emoni Bates has that same "it"' factor.

Just a freshman in high school, Bates has already garnered praise as the best prospect in high school basketball, a statement that was made before his season even began in the fall. The long-limbed, slender but ultra-smooth wing has all of the tools to transcend the game. He recently won a state title for Ypsilanti Lincoln High a few weeks ago and was one of the few to earn Gatorade Player of the Year honors as just a ninth-grader. Bates has elite tools and talent to build upon, and while he has a ways to go before he has achieved what Williamson has, he is among a small handful of players who could draw similar praise nationally.

SMARTS 

While Williamson's physical tangibles are second to none, what furthers his stance as one of the most unique prospects the college game has ever seen is just how smart and forward thinking he is. Williamson seems to always be a play ahead, and whether it is making the right pass, being in the proper spot as a help-side defender or probing the precise driving lanes.

That is exactly what can be said about Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. The top 10 forward boasts all of the intangibles and also is one of the smartest players in the high school game. Robinson-Earl is never out of place on defense and is one of the most efficient players because of just how high his basketball intellect is. He has seemingly won at every level and should continue to do so next year, as he will be a major weapon for Jay Wright at Villanova.

DEFENSIVE INSTINCTS 

We see the dunks, but how Williamson usually gets there in the first place is often not by quick outlet passes but rather by his own doing. Williamson’s first step and instincts in reading the passing lanes are elite, and it is also one of the reasons why Scottie Lewis is such a standout prospect in the 2019 class. He might not have the girth of Williamson, yet the Florida-bound wing is just as good in reading opponents as a help-side defender and is no slouch in the athleticism department, either, as he is good for his fair share of highlight-reel dunks.

Just like Williamson, Lewis is more than effective in guarding the ball, but it is his ability to be in the right spot off of the ball that allows for him to turn defense into productive offense. Mike White created a premier defensive unit this winter, and with Lewis’ abilities in store next season Florida should be even better at disabling any sort of offensive firepower that it sees.

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