Players can’t just be scorers. While the game essentially boils down to a bucket, great players need to contribute in a variety of ways. As a Hall of Famer himself, Charles Barkley understands the value of an all-around player. And that simple fact has become the entire basis for his public feud with Zion Williamson. So, anytime the big man fails to contribute in a variety of ways, Chuck is right there to call him out.

Unfortunately, on MLK day, that is where Williamson found himself once more. With the New Orleans Pelicans falling to the Dallas Mavericks despite Luka Doncic not playing, the majority of the blame fell on Zion. For Barkley, however, the problem was far more specific on Inside the NBA.

“C’mon, man. That is my only problem with Zion. You can’t get, you can’t get 1 rebound, ever. You can’t get 1 rebound ever if you wanna be a great player… How you have over 30 points and get only 1 rebound? That’s impossible?” On the night, Zion recorded 30 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists as Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. combined for 83 points in the Mavs win.

While the 23-year-old had a positive impact on the game (+6 plus/minus), it has been a recurring theme between the fellas on TNT and Zion. Due to his god-given abilities and talents, the former number 1 overall pick has been an instant success in terms of production. However, in terms of hustle and effort points, he is lacking.

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With new stars taking over the league, Zion Williamson might get lost in the crowd

Perhaps that’s what limiting Zion from cracking that upper tier. For much of this season, the newer guard coming up has been the story of the season. As a result, all-timers like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant have been middle-of-the-pack teams. On the other hand, names like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic are entering best-player territory.

But it doesn’t look like Williamson has been part of the discussion despite having the most potential coming into the league. Even when the crew was engrossed in this same discussion, the Duke product’s name never once came up. Can he find another gear and dimension to his game to elevate himself into these discussions? Or is the TNT crew correct in their presumption about him?

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