2017 NBA Mock Draft 2.0
27. . SF. Duke. Jayson Tatum. 9. player
Player Profile:
“Tatum’s arsenal of scoring moves is among the more wide-ranging you’ll find atop a draft class. He has a number of head fakes, jab steps and dribble moves he can utilize to create space from midrange, and scores with his back to the basket at a high clip to boot.
His 3-point shot hasn’t been featured in a manner some scouts would like, but he still has a good looking stroke from deep, and 31 percent seems like a number he’s capable of improving on.
Tatum’s athletic tools are also very promising (6-8 with a 6-11 wingspan), as he has shown immense potential on the defensive end as well — something few people expected coming in. He’s a gifted scorer in the same mold as Carmelo Anthony and Paul Pierce and boasts the type of overall potential that should have teams raving over his NBA upside.” — Sixers: Top 10 Prospects to Watch, 4th Ed.
Outside Opinion:
“In college, Tatum has been at his best playing power forward, but that’s largely a product of his developing game and the obvious advantages he holds against bigger, slower defenders. At this point, Tatum is more of a volume scorer than an efficient one. He is averaging 15.8 points per game on somewhere between 14 and 15 true shooting possessions. He’s at his best operating from the mid-post in isolation where he can either back down his defender or face him up and go to work off the dribble. Tatum draws fouls at a high rate, but takes a ton of tough shots. His poor jump shooting — both in the mid-range and from beyond the arc — have produced a 49.2 effective field goal percentage.” — Chris Stone in FanSided’s NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 14.
Team Fit:
In Phil Jackson’s continued effort to run Carmelo Anthony out of New York, he’ll pull the trigger on the most talented wing — and most talented player — left at this point in the draft in Tatum. The Duke product has experienced his ebbs and flows as a freshman in a loaded Blue Devils rotation, but still shows flashes of incredible upside offensively.
As a smooth, fluid athlete — rather than outright explosive — Tatum’s best production comes from his mid-range game, as well as the high or low block on occasion. He has some very Melo-esque jab steps and turnarounds that allow him to generate ample space in isolation, while his 3-point shot — although streaky — doesn’t have any hitches, meaning it should translate in time.
This is a Knicks team that needs to begin building for the post-Carmelo era, and Tatum is, without hesitation, the best player remaining. He also passes better — or more willingly — than Melo and tries harder on defense. Maybe he can fill the void in Phil’s triangle-shaped heart.