2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 22: College basketball is over

The Orlando Magic are in a dark place and are in need of an influx of talent that can help them turn around the franchise’s fortunes. Duke’s Jayson Tatum would give the Magic a quality scoring wing who at his best could end up as the focal point of an offense and at his worst seems like a potential 3-and-D candidate.

Tatum’s offensive game is by far the most polished of any of the wings in the 2017 draft class, but it’s a bit outdated because of his affinity for isolations and playing out of the mid-post. The 19-year old is the definition of a tough shot maker and he has the confidence to pull up even in the most heavily defended situations. His mid-range jumper and good free throw shooting (84.9 percent) create hope that he’ll eventually be a quality 3-point shooter at the next level despite making just 34.2 percent in his one season at Duke.

As for his defense, Tatum has the potential to be a versatile defender at the next level because of his physical size. He struggles on occasion to keep up with smaller players because he’s not the most athletic wing in the world, but his awareness and instincts have translated to production. Tatum averaged 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks this season.

Learn more about Jayson Tatum at The Step Back.