Vince Carter knows a thing or two about turning gobs of athleticism into All-Star level production. The 41-year-old, now with the Atlanta Hawks and potentially in his final NBA season, was once in a similar position as Duke's Zion Williamson -- a monster dunker with elite athleticism and raw potential. Now Carter's an eight-time NBA All-Star and potential Hall of Famer who is willing and ready to dish out advice for the younger generation.
"One thing I learned when I got in this league is that yes, I'm athletic, but there's gonna be a lot of guys up here that are athletic. What else do you bring to the table?" He told ESPN. "I think he's going through that phase, kind of what I went through. Everybody looks at 'he can dunk, he can dunk,' but now when you have guys that are super athletic, then they're going to start saying, 'What else can he do?'"
Williamson proved on Tuesday night he's capable of doing plenty more than just dunking with force and feeding highlight shows. The freshman scored a career-high 30 points on only 16 shot attempts, knocking down three 3-pointers, getting to the foul line and creating for others. He's been streaky overall as a shooter, but as Carter notes, Williamson's athletic talents and developed body should translate immediately to the NBA.
"He's super, super athletic," Carter said of Williamson. "He has an NBA body already. I think, more than anything, with all his ability, I just say take his time, develop his game, because when you get here, it's a different beast as far as expectations. A lot of guys try to get here and just develop while they get here."
Carter played at North Carolina for three seasons before turning pro. During that stint, his dazzling dunks earned him a stellar reputation rivaling Williamson's. But he was far more than a dunker, but boy, his dunks were great.
Williamson is the projected No. 1 pick in the latest CBS Sports Mock Draft. He's averaging 20.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 2.2 steals per game for the top-ranked Blue Devils.
