2017 NBA Mock Draft: What if the Lakers don’t take Lonzo Ball?

With the top four point guards off the board, the Orlando Magic are likely to take one of the remaining wings. There are viable cases to be made for all three of Jayson Tatum, Jonathan Isaac and Malik Monk, but Tatum is the prospect with the highest upside because of his ability to create his own offense, so he will come off the board here.

Tatum’s creation starts with his mid-post isolation game. He’s got a strong back to the basket skill set, can hit tough jumpers and attacks well off the dribble, especially against less mobile opponents like he did in college. There are very real questions to be asked about the efficiency of this attack, but late in games when opponents take away a team’s best options, having Tatum as a go-to guy will pay dividends.

For Tatum to take the next step, though, he’ll need to refine his passing game and extend his jumper. He’s got decent vision and can make the easy reads, but his willingness to pass is a bit of a question mark. Tatum also needs to push his jump shot out beyond the 3-point arc, but his excellent free throw shooting bodes well for making that transition in time.

Learn more about Jayson Tatum at The Step Back.