Jerry West: Passing on Zion Williamson Like Not Drafting Michael Jordan

Consider Jerry West a fan of Zion Williamson. 

The NBA Hall of Famer and Los Angeles' Clippers advisor said on the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday that passing on the Duke superstar with the top overall pick would be a serious mistake.

"I don't know how you could pass Zion Williamson [at No. 1.] ..." he said, per Andrew Perloff of the Dan Patrick Show. "That would be like passing on Michael Jordan in the draft, I think."

Williamson, 18, is largely expected to be the top overall selection and is considered the top talent in the draft by most draft pundits.

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie had Williamson atop his big board in early April. And B/R's Jonathan Wasserman, CBS Sports' Gary Parrish, USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt of and SI.com's Jeremy Woo had Williamson off the board first in their mock drafts.

Woo wrote:

"He has a chance to be a uniquely gifted star at the NBA level, and although there will be obstacles for him to clear, if Williamson can continue adding to his skill set and refining his jumper, there’s a sky-high ceiling for him. He just put together one of the most dominant college seasons ever, and throwing out all the hyperbole, whoever wins the lottery will be happy to reorient their rebuild around him."

Frankly, it's hard to find a mock draft that doesn't have Williamson going No. 1 overall, and for good reason. Williamson averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 2.1 assists and 1.8 blocks per game in his lone season at Duke, shooting an incredible 68 percent from the field. 

Zion Highlights

He was not only dominant, but also as exciting to watch as any player in the country, given his combination of size and rare explosiveness. In an era of Instagram highlights, Williamson was the king of going viral with a single dunk.

Few players enter the NBA after a more dominant season or with more marketability, ostensibly making him an easy selection for whichever team wins the NBA draft lottery. Of course, teams overthink draft selections regularly, so it's possible an organization could talk itself out of Williamson.

But West, an NBA Hall of Famer as a player with a long and illustrious career as a front-office executive, thinks that would be a massive mistake.