By WFAN.com
Former Duke star Christian Laettner believes all the Zion Williamson hype is warranted and that the Blue Devils star could be a game-changer for the Knicks.
"I'm expecting him to be awesome at the next level," Laettner told WFAN's "Boomer and Gio" on Tuesday. "My only hope is that he never gets injured for the next four or five years because, if he doesn't, we're going to see some unbelievable blocks, some unbelievable dunks, some unbelievable plays on the basketball court from that young guy.
"There's times when he looks like a point guard out there," the two-time NCAA national champion and All-American added. "There's times when he looks like Shaq out there. There's times when he looks like Charles Barkley out there. So he's someone that can get a big rebound on the defensive end, push the break like a guard and then dunk on you like the best dunkers that I've ever seen. So that's positionless. I think he's going to do very well. And yes, he does have to develop a little bit more of his jumper, but if people give him space, he's so explosive and bouncy and he has so much skills that he can get by them."
The Knicks are positioned to have the top spot in next month's NBA draft lottery -- and the 14 percent chance at earning the first pick that comes with it. Williamson is widely expected to be selected No. 1 overall.
"He's going to sell out season-ticket holders," Laettner said. "He's going to sell out the Garden every night."
In the interview, Laettner mentioned a report that said Williamson was considering staying in school to avoid playing for the Knicks, but it seems he was referring to an April Fool's prank on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption."
Laettner said the Knicks drafting Williamson could be a draw for impending free agents. However, he said New York isn't for everybody, himself include.
"When (Jeff) Van Gundy was coaching the Knicks years ago when I was playing, they were talking to my agent a little bit, and I was like: 'No way, no way,'" Laettner said.
He said he was concerned about how populated the city is and the media here.
"My personality is the antithesis of New York City," he said. "I want slow pace of life more than anything."
To listen to the interview, in which Laettner also discusses his days at Duke, click on the audio player above.
