NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 14: Markelle Fultz is still no. 1

The Orlando Magic slowly seem to be figuring out that moving Aaron Gordon down to the power forward position is best for his development, which means the team will have an opening at the small forward slot if they can get some business done to clear the way for Gordon’s move. Duke’s Jayson Tatum is the next best wing prospect on the board and can help fill the role.

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.

There is some intriguing upside for Tatum on defense. He’s produced well statistically, averaging 2.1 steals and 1.9 blocks per 40 minutes, but hasn’t really passed the eye test in terms of staying in front of his man and fighting through screens. At his size, Tatum should be able to defend a variety of positions. It’s just not clear that he’ll ever get to that point. For now, his best weapon is his versatile offensive game. He just needs to smooth out its efficiency.

Learn more about Jayson Tatum at The Step Back.