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Why Officiating Zion Williamson Is Hard

Welcome to the Morning Shootaround, where every weekday you’ll get a fresh, topical column from one of SI.com’s NBA writers: Howard Beck on Mondays, Chris Mannix on Tuesdays, Michael Pina on Wednesdays, Chris Herring on Thursdays and Rohan Nadkarni on Fridays.

On the continuum of truly dominant, generational figures who present physical challenges that don't have any answer, Zion Williamson might already be the NBA’s most irrepressible force since Shaquille O’Neal. At only 20 years old, Williamson isn’t just averaging 27.1 points on 61.4% shooting while attempting more free throws than any other player—he’s doing it without even pretending to keep defenders honest outside the lane.