The Boston Celtics should draft Jayson Tatum
By Jake Finnen
Jayson Tatum is an untapped physical specimen that has the attitude and skill set to perfectly mesh within the Boston Celtics organization.
With the third pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics made a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a future first round draft pick, and more importantly, this year’s third overall pick. The Celtics traded down, but made it clear they will still be able to take their initial prospect.
With that knowledge, it is almost certain the Celtics will take Jayson Tatum or Josh Jackson, a player with defensive potential and hopefully one day, the ability to space the floor.
While Josh Jackson may be talented, Tatum offers the perfect combination of size and speed that will make him an impact player on any team. That team needs to be the Celtics.
Prior to this point
The 6’8″ forward contributed 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game over his 29 games at Duke. His size and speed make him useful in multiple roles, much like he was for the Blue Devils. He will undoubtedly take time to develop, but with a such a talented team around him, it might happen sooner than expected.
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He is not going to be able to get the same shots he got in college, mostly because of the speed of the NBA, but his height and wingspan work in his favor. One promising aspect about Tatum is that he can eventually overcome the worst aspect of his game — his inability to be a deep threat and space the floor. While the court will change, shooting 84 percent from the line means he has the touch to work with.
Versatile wing threat with weapons around him
Realistically, the Celtics’ biggest problem is finding a dominant rebounder. Tatum does not have the size that automatically makes a player a paint presence, but his athleticism can make him an active shot-blocker.
The Celtics are not good at rebounding, but they are good at forcing tough shots. So, when they force the bad shots, they need someone that will be able to grab rebounds. It might not happen immediately, but Tatum’s length on the floor will only help with capitalizing on those opportunities.
The only thing keeping Tatum from helping Boston’s weakness in this area would be Brad Stevens literally saying, “Do not rebound the basketball.”
As far as offense goes, having a 6’8″ forward who can dribble has never been a bad thing. Even when it comes to his shooting, his jump shot isn’t that bad. For some reason. my mind keeps coming back to this, but if Otto Porter Jr. be among the league leaders in three-point percentage, Tatum can learn to develop a consistent jumper. He has a great work ethic and if he can channel it, he will make an instantaneous impact.
Attitude fits the town
Tatum has been noted for his dedication to being a better player, most notably by his former coach, Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K is right about Tatum’s principles. A quick Google search on Jayson Tatum and it is hard to ignore the emphasis on his work ethic.
I am not a fan of commercials, but every Celtics game I see commercials showing players like Al Horford, Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Smart all working out in some cement, eerily lit facility. Tatum is next in line and I can already see it now. Dead lifts.
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Even in his own words, Tatum has previously expressed himself about staying driven. A lesson he learned while playing for the USA Basketball Team. For all of these reasons, and being able to supply Boston with a secondary option on offense to take the pressure off IT to do everything, the Celtics should draft Tatum if they keep the No. 3 overall pick.