NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 20: The Sweet Sixteen edition
By Chris Stone
Jayson Tatum
SF, Duke
Tatum’s offensive game is his selling point, and he showed it off largely playing as a small ball power forward for Duke. He is seemingly at his most comfortable operating in isolation in the mid-range, which obviously isn’t the most efficient strategy. As the season wore on, Tatum became more comfortable behind the arc. He finished shooting 34.2 percent from deep and his incredibly high free throw percentage (84.9 percent) bodes well for his future. Tatum can also attack of the dribble, draw fouls at a high rate and be a decent ball move when he’s willing. If Tatum’s offense falls back into his isolation game, though, it’s detrimental to the team as a whole.
Defensively, Tatum has the size to be a multi-positional defender. Duke frequently switched one through four, so he has experience guarding smaller players as well. Tatum’s box score production — 1.7 steals and 1.4 blocks per 40 minutes — tailed off towards the end of the season, but reflects well on his defensive potential.