New York Knicks: Appreciating Zion Williamson, one game at a time

Zion Williamson returned to the court Thursday night, and it was a moment for New York Knicks fans to bask in.

Nothing is a sure thing for the New York Knicks once the season ends. Not the draft or free agency, but both offer incredible prospects for a franchise that has sparsely found them over the past two decades. When something positive has transpired it’s led to distraught (Amar’e Stoudemire’s recurring injuries, Kristaps Porzingis leaving via trade).

Encapsulating all the hype is Zion Williamson, the notorious Duke star who shines brightly with each soaring dunk or other athletic feats.

Everything came to a screeching halt, however, when Williamson injured his knee seconds into the Blue Devils’ Feb. 20 game against North Carolina — removing him from on-court action for three weeks and creating a waiting game: when will the King of College Basketball return?

It did not happen in the regular season, but Thursday’s ACC Tournament game against Syracuse, and Williamson was spectacular. He went 13-for-13 for 29 points, 14 rebounds and six steals in his team’s 84-72 win.

All seemed well for Williamson just minutes into the game when he did this:

That settled doubt about his status off that knee injury and whether he’d have that same bounce off the ground.

If Williamson stays all right, Duke is the favorite to not just win the ACC Tournament but the National Championship. He, RJ Barrett, Cameron Reddish and others offer too much talent to not factor into the race.

It’s all an opportunity for Knicks fans to embrace Williamson and the rest of his collegiate run, before the inevitable declaration to the 2019 NBA Draft. New York stands to have a 14 percent chance at the first overall pick, which every mock draft on the internet has him going, but the second and third-worst records also have 14 percent odds.

Yes, the Knicks have an 86 percent chance of not acquiring Williamson’s rights. If that’s not scary enough, this team can drop as low as fifth in the draft order, pending how the lottery transpires in May. Basically, they will most likely have either Barrett or Reddish — both of whom are very talented players — instead of college basketball’s potential player of the year.

That may crush New York Knicks fans’ dreams, but the prospect of not having Williamson is real. So, before the lottery arrives and guarantees where he goes, these ensuing ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament games are opportunities to see Williamson on “neutral” ground.

There are no NBA connections or guarantees for the star freshman’s future at the moment, aside from draft placement, so let’s embrace the rare show he brings to a sport muddied with controversy.