2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 21: Malik Monk to the Sixers
By Chris Stone
Jayson Tatum
SF, Duke
Tatum is a tough shot maker who likes to operate in isolation and in the mid-post where he can face up defenders and go to work. As an offensive mismatch, Tatum drew a slew of fouls during his lone season in Durham and got to the rack at will. While he’s got a decent jumper from the mid-range, he needs to work on extending it out to the 3-point line. Tatum made just 34.2 percent of his triples as a freshman. He free throw shooting (84.9 percent) suggests that number should improve as he becomes more comfortable at a deeper distance.
The 19-year old has the size to be a multi-positional defender at the next level, but it’s not clear he has the lateral quickness to keep up with smaller players. With a more physically mature body, Tatum may be best fit to play a similar small ball four position in the NBA where his rebounding and weak side rim protection can play some sort of role.