Boston Celtics: Redrafting the last decade of first round picks
Original pick: Jayson Tatum
New pick: Jayson Tatum
Trading for the third pick and picking Jayson Tatum may be the highlight of Danny Ainge’s career as general manager, but at the time surprised nearly everyone. After trading down from one, it was expected that the Celtics would take Josh Jackson, but instead, they took the Duke freshman, and presumably the best player from the draft.
Tatum was an average wing athlete, 6’8″ with decent size and athleticism. But what separated him was his adept mid-range game. Tatum also had the basketball IQ and maturity to compete in the NBA at just 19.
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In his three seasons in the NBA, Tatum has missed just 10 games in his career. By 2018-19 he became a reliable second scorer, but once he became the center of the offense, Tatum did not disappoint.
With Kemba Walker hurt in February, it was Tatum’s offense to run and took the opportunity to turn into a superstar. This season, Tatum has also developed a reliable 3-point game, and has become one of the league’s top defenders.
If he continues his dominance, Tatum seems like he could possibly become an all-time great superstar, leading the Celtics towards possibly a title or two. There is no doubt that the Celtics made the right pick here.
Tatum’s partner in crime, Jaylen Brown was selected the year before, also at three. But could have the Celtics had someone even better?