yes, there is hype but in terms of how good he's going to be, he has similar hype to AD but not as much as LBJ.
he gets more attention due to the flashiness of his game compared to AD.
But AD was considered just as much a cant miss prospect.
Allow me to re-phrase the Q posed:
when was the last time a "cant miss #1 pick prospect" didnt turn out to be a stud?
if i look at the last 15-20yrs the #1 picks id put in that category are:
AD
Blake Griffin (i might be being generous with this one)
Oden/Durant (although Durant was #2, they were talked about as 1a/1b)
LBJ
TD
The only one of those that didnt pan out was Oden, and that was due to injury.
generally speaking, when there is a cant miss prospect at #1, im not just talking about clear #1 pick, but a "generational talent", they tend to be pretty good.
Zion is in that sort of discussion. He is a bit of an injury risk, but if he can stay healthy, he'll be a stud.
Hope he becomes a great but soon there will be Zion rookie cards everywhere whereas when I go to woolies the missus says to grab some caramilk to try but it’s never there. I bet it’s great too.