While often criticized for his isolation-heavy approach, Jayson Tatum’s scoring arsenal could find a comfortable niche in the Philadelphia 76ers‘ system.
Almost a consensus top six prospect, Jayson Tatum has quickly become one of the draft’s more heavily debated players. Tatum is unquestionably polished on the offensive end, boasting footwork in isolation that many veterans can’t match. He does, however, come will some significant flaws — namely what he’s capable of accomplishing when the ball isn’t in his hands.
Philadelphia 76ers
Largely an isolation scorer at Duke, the majority of Tatum’s amateur career has been based around his ability to exploit mismatches when they’re available. He does an excellent job scoring over smaller defenders in isolation, while his finishing touch at the rim is complimented by a post arsenal of equal effectiveness. He has the ability to score at all three levels, and the Blue Devils’ system often funneled him into those iso-heavy scenarios.
He didn’t always have the court awareness or the tight handles needed to excel in creating for others, while his shooting stroke wasn’t all that consistent when spotting up from deep. He hit on just 34.2 percent of his shots from beyond the arc last season, showing decent mechanics but an obvious lack of control in the midst of a freshman campaign that was, for the most part, an adjustment period for Tatum.
And while it took him a while to get comfortable, the best version of Tatum was on display towards the season’s end — most notably during Duke’s ACC Tournament run. While he somewhat unfairly lost tournament MVP honors to Luke Kennard, he was the Blue Devils’ most effective scorer throughout the series.
The other improvements he made, though, helped revitalize a somewhat devalued draft stock. Those very same improvements could help him thrive in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform.
On the surface, Tatum certainly isn’t the best fit at three, nor is he the best talent in a vacuum. But should the Sixers trade down or find themselves enamored with his personal traits, there’s definitely reason to consider him.
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The most significant of those improvements were his gains a passer. While not a go-to facilitator in the same vein as Josh Jackson, he showed nice touch when driving the lane and kicking it out to open shooters on the perimeter. And while that seems both minute and unimportant, having the vision and foresight needed to both read defensive pressure and make the touch passes out to shooters is imperative in limiting mistakes and careless turnovers in the paint.
It also helps him fit into a more free-flowing offense in Philadelphia. While Duke lacked a true point guard, the NBA is a far different and more dynamic league. Plus, with Ben Simmons and another guard likely joining the rotation, ball movement isn’t likely to be an issue.
The Sixers can run Tatum through countless actions in order to free him up en route to the basket. Assuming he’s able to retain both his vision and willingness to pass, that could prove beneficial as the Sixers continue to add more shooters around him.
That passing vision is still rudimentary, though — meaning there’s far more to Tatum’s game and potential success in Philadelphia. While the ball may not stick with him as often, he’d still be utilized as the Sixers’ go-to scorer on the wing. Tatum, lacking the elite burst and at-rim explosiveness that some of his lottery counterparts boast, relies more on skill and positioning than raw athletic power. Brett Brown should be able to find spots in which he exceeds.
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As mentioned prior, Tatum thrives in mismatches, where his array of scoring moves allows him to selectively attack based on the defender at hand. He has the post moves needed to score in Carmelo Anthony-esque fashion on the low block, while his shifty mid-range game manifests most against larger, slower defenders who can’t close the gap on his shot.
Brown could funnel Tatum into those mismatches, using screens in heavy doses along with countless dribble handoffs in order to do so. He can run Tatum alongside Embiid in several of those actions, allowing Tatum to run downhill against a slower defender while having an easy fall-back in Embiid cutting to the rim. If he’s switched onto smaller players in that situation, his post moves come into play.
The most concerning aspect of Tatum’s fit is his 3-point shot and whether or not he’s able to regain some of the consistency this season lacked. Much of that can be attributed to an awkward situation, though. Not only was the roster poorly constructed, but the Blue Devils went without their coach for several weeks during the middle of the season — all after Tatum missed the first nine games due to injury.
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A smarter Tatum who not only comprehends matchups but is more willing to move the basketball and work within the flow of an offense could give the Sixers the elite offensive punch they’ve lacked on the outside. Few players enter the league with the offensive fluidity that Tatum shows, and that’s something this Philadelphia squad may be able to elevate even further once he’s in the league.