Ric Bucher Drops Most Irresponsibly Scorching Zion Williamson Take Possible

Zion Williamson hasn't even been drafted yet and talking heads in the media are already revving up the hot take machine.

On Colin Cowherd's daily three-hour hot take fest, NBA analyst Ric Bucher has already slapped Zion Williamson with the term "Lonzo Ball 2.0," as he doesn't believe the 285-pound Duke forward is skilled enough to dominate from the word go. Bucher also drew an unfavorable comparison to Dallas Mavericks rookie sensation Luka Doncic.

Part of the reason Ball has failed to this point is the hype machine created by his dad. In his hurry to crown Lonzo the next Magic Johnson, people forgot to see if he could shoot or stay healthy. Zion, who won AP Player of the Year, has proven that he can absolutely dominate at the college level.

Yes, Doncic was more polished by virtue of four years of professional basketball with Real Madrid, but the reason his hype wasn't Zion level was the fact that all his highlights were 360p shots of him in an empty gym in Spain. A guy as smart as Bucher has to know that.

Zion is going to have lofty expectations going into his rookie year in New Orleans, but no one is mandating he take the Pelicans to the playoffs. While it's too early to crown him the next LeBron, dismissing him as a product of hype and a bust to be contrarian is equally as foolish.