NBA Draft prospect series: Jayson Tatum

In this review of The Thunderous Intentions Draft Prospect Series, we look over Duke’s Jayson Tatum. A potential All-Star that can change a teams win column in year one.

Jayson Tatum is a great fit for the modern NBA. At 6′ 8″, not only can he play the 3, but he can play small ball power forward as well. He has the ability to create his own shot from anywhere within 16 feet, and has decent range as well.

Not only does his length help with scoring, but he can guard almost every position. Though the Thunder own the 21st pick of this draft, Sam Presti (General Manager) has shown before he has a knack for bargaining. So don’t rule OKC out of the lottery just yet!

RELATED CONTENT: Ranking Sam Presti’s recent trades

Specs

Age: 19

Height: 6′ 8″

Wingspan: 7′ 0″

Weight: 205 lbs

Position: Small forward

School: Duke Blue Devils

Stats

Field goal percentage (FG%): 45.2%

3-point percentage (3P%): 34.2%

Points per game (PPG): 16.8

Rebounds per game (RPG): 7.3

Assists per game (APG): 2.1

Box plus-minus(+/-): +7.5

Rankings:

(note – rankings are taken on day of article posting and therefore may be listed at a similar rank as previously posted prospect reviews)

Draft Express: 4th Overall

Basketball Insider: 4th Overall

CBS Sports: 3rd Overall

Notable Achievements

• One of five finalists for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award

• Earned USBWA All-District III honors

• A third-team All-ACC selection and a member of the ACC All-Freshman Team

• Named ACC Rookie of the Week three times (12/12, 2/13, 2/20) and Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week once (12/13)

• Owns three gold medals as a member of the USA Basketball program

Via GoDuke.com

Strengths:

Not only was Tatum a beast for the Blue Devils in the ACC tournament semi-finals, he looked this way since his first start. He has enormous amounts of potential between his length and athleticism and he is not scared to use it. Tatum can create separation and is long enough to shoot over most defenders, while his athleticism also gives him enough speed to jump right into the NBA atmosphere.

The small forward has a nice jump-shot and a big enough frame to run to the rack. He has the finesse to make a smooth layup, and he has the strength to hammer down dunks with contact. His offensive game gives teams the best of both worlds, making him a coach’s dream. As a great fit for any team that needs someone who can create their own shot with consistency, don’t expect Tatum to slip out of the lottery.

Weaknesses:

Though the Blue Devil has great upside, he is sometimes streaky from range. His mid-range game is solid, but he definitely needs some work from beyond the arc. The one-and-done also doesn’t make the best late game decisions, and sometimes doesn’t make the best decisions in general. Between mental lapses, and just plain bad plays, Tatum’s 2.6 turnovers per game to his 2.1 assists speak to this fact.

Even though he has good defensive skills and has the potential to play both ends, sometimes he can be lazy. He doesn’t always square up instantly, and sometimes gets caught letting the opposing player get a step on him.

Another negative side of his defense is at times he appears scared of opponents driving on him. Instead of challenging, he runs backwards with his hands up, think Enes Kanter.

Tatum has a very high basketball IQ, knows when to cut, and can play the fast break extremely well, but he isn’t going to be the first person to pass the ball. He likes to play in isolation which is a dying term in the NBA. In college, that is hard to say, because you can potentially be the only NBA type talent on your team. This is obviously not the case for Tatum. He played with a late first rounder in Luke Kennard, and a future NBA player in Grayson Allen. He doesn’t need a ton of work, but he isn’t necessarily ready to take on the role of team leader.

The Fit:

More from Thunderous Intentions

With the 21st selection in the 2017 NBA draft the OKC Thunder can’t exactly bank on picking Tatum. If they were however looking to pick up the college star, the Celtics (1st pick) need someone who can ignite the firepower they already have. The Lakers (2nd pick) is most likely going to pick up the home-town kid Lonzo Ball, and Philly (3rd pick) already has Ben Simmons and Dario Saric.

From this scribes perspective the Thunder could hit two birds with one stone making a trade with a team like The 76ers.

For example, Victor Oladipo is set to make $21 million next season, and The Thunder need a little wiggle room with their funds. Sending Oladipo to Philly would really help The 76ers in taking the next step in their “process”. Oklahoma City would probably have to trade another asset like Alex Abrines or their first round pick to work its way into the lottery. Though, In the end, gaining a talented scorer and smaller contract in Jayson Tatum, while finding budget room to help with their negotiations with Andre Roberson could be worth it.

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