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As draft night approaches, NBA analysts rave about Zion Williamson’s intangibles

By now, everyone has seen the viral video clips, the soaring dunks destined for YouTube, the stunning athleticism that allows Zion Williamson to do jaw-dropping things, like sprinting from the paint to block a Virginia corner three-pointer into the stands. Those who watched the Duke freshman closely during his college season often noticed several other things about NBA.com’s consensus No. 1 draft pick. Traits that won’t appear in highlight packages or the forward’s statistics.

“His character – the way he allowed other guys to flourish,” NBA TV analyst Steve Smith said of how Williamson interacted with his Blue Devils teammates.