With the #NBA Draft just finished, the off-season comes onto the stage. The free agency market starts on July 1 and teams are looking long and hard to see what they can acquire to make the next super team. For the Boston Celtics, they drafted 19-year-old small forward Jayson Tatum from Duke. NBA analyzers saw this as one of the best picks in the draft this year and gave the Celtics a draft grade of A.
This would not be possible if it was not for the mastermind of General Manager Danny Ainge. The Celtics had the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft but decided to trade it to the Philadelphia 76ers for the No.
3 pick and a first round pick in either the 2018 or 2019 draft. Although they downgraded with the picks, the deal benefits Celtics in the long run since it adds an extra pick to their already stacked assets.
Jayson Tatum before he bled green
Jayson Tatum's college season was quite a spectacular one where he was able to average 16.8 points, grab 7.3 rebounds, and dish out 2.1 assists. Those are pretty good stats for college basketball, but what he is able to bring onto the court is outside of statistics. Standing at 6-8 with a wingspan of 6-11, this provides him with a huge range to grab rebounds, even in the NBA.
On top of that, Jayson Tatum's long strides when dribbling gives him an offensive versatility that can really benefit him in the big leagues.
Jayson is able to create his own shot and can be quite a threat inside the key. Although he specializes in the mid-range game, Tatum is still able to knock down 3's when given the rock.
Coming into the NBA, Tatum needs to improve on certain aspects of his game such as his mid-range game and defense. Sure, he makes most of his shots in the mid-range, but with the added length in the NBA, he will have to get used to knocking his favorite shots at a further distance.
Tatum does have defensive potential, but he has to work for it. His body is lighter than most small forwards in the NBA, which will provide a problem with physicality while defending. He can defend guards and faster opponents, but he uses his heels too much leaving him vulnerable. These are minor weaknesses but he will have to work on them in order to make a name for himself in the NBA.
The difference between Jayson Tatum and No. 4 pick Josh Jackson is maturity. The Celtics would have picked Jackson if it was not for scheduling conflicts and lack of desire to workout with Celtics. To transition well into the NBA, you need a certain mentality and maturity to progress or else you will be seeing the NBA D-league quite soon. Tatum does possess a good amount of maturity which will definitely help him in the NBA.
What does he bring to the table in the Celtics franchise?
Jayson Tatum is a small forward which is a position of need on the Celtics roster. As of now, the roster is loaded with guards and centers to the point where they put centers in small forward positions or make their guards hybrid guards.
With Tatum, he can help balance the team and have players play their specialized roles rather than adjusting according to what the roster lacks. This will reduce minutes for other players, but allows coach Brad Stevens to adjust accordingly and see what five-man roster can produce in certain situations of the game.
Tatum will start out playing behind small forwards Jae Crowder and Jaylen Brown, but he will have some experienced mentors on the team to teach him about the game. He also said that he is looking forward to learning from head coach Brad Stevens.
Aside from roster balance, he also offers good athleticism and ball handling coming to the team. Throughout the 2016-17 NBA season, especially during the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics relied too heavily on Isaiah Thomas to make a play or score for the Celtics.
The Celtics lack a consistent sharpshooter outside of Thomas which leaves the job to defend the Celtics that much easier.
Now that Jayson Tatum is on the roster, his positioning and style of play can lift a load off of IT's back. Even if Danny Ainge eventually feels like Tatum is not a good fit for the roster, he also adds very good value to the stacks of assets the Celtics have when it comes to making trades.
It is too soon to say what will happen before the season starts; Tatum may not even be on the roster coming to opening day. But what is certain is that the Celtics are most likely going to set off some fireworks during this off-season.
