Celtics Draft Preview
The Boston Celtics find themselves in a precarious position heading into the 2017 NBA Draft on Thursday night. Originally the holders of the #1 selection and the winners of the Markelle Fultz sweepstakes, the Celtics exchanged the rights to that selection with the Philadelphia 76ers for the #3 pick in 2017 and the rights to a protected Lakers pick in 2018 or the rights to the Kings pick in 2019.
With the Sixers likely selecting Fultz (Fr. PG - Washington) and the Lakers subsequently choosing Lonzo Ball (Fr. PG - UCLA), the Celtics face the choice of the two premier wing players in this draft: Kansas F Josh Jackson or Duke F Jayson Tatum. Here is the tale of the tape:
Josh Jackson --- Fr. --- F --- University of Kansas
6'8" 203 lbs.
Jackson has by far the wider outcome of the two forwards. Jackson has a competitive personality and is a tenacious defender who slots in more as a small forward with the ability to transition to an over-sized shooting guard. The irony, however, is that Jackson is not a great shooter, at just 37.8% from beyond the arc in his freshman campaign. Jackson can play strong perimeter defense and is a force on the glass, two things that profile well for the Celtics but are reminders of many players already on the existing roster. Jackson limits the length to truly excel as a premier defender but as mentioned, can compete. On the offensive side, Jackson's jumper will require work but he is strong off the dribble and can take contact to the rim. Jackson is a smart player that can handle systems, but may require more time to mature than the Celtics can handle right now.
Jayson Tatum --- Fr. --- F --- Duke University
6'8" 204 lbs
Nearly the same size as Jackson, Jayson Tatum profiles as a small forward with the ability to transition down to power forward instead of guard. Tatum has the offensive tools to be a go-to contributor for any NBA team but that does not come without a catch. Tatum currently can excel within the arc and has a solid jumper out to about 18ft - he has been working on stretching his range but that skill remains to be seen. Tatum is a star from another era and needs to develop more aggressive drive techniques and a touch beyond the arc. He must also work on his defensive attentiveness, often failing to close out screens and lose focus on defense. Brad Stevens would not allow this to happen. Tatum is my selection for the Celtics with the 3rd selection simply because he has the offensive talent to take some attention and pressure away from Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics need additional scoring, especially as Jaylen Brown comes into his role as a perimeter defender.
The Pick: Jayson Tatum
With the Sixers likely selecting Fultz (Fr. PG - Washington) and the Lakers subsequently choosing Lonzo Ball (Fr. PG - UCLA), the Celtics face the choice of the two premier wing players in this draft: Kansas F Josh Jackson or Duke F Jayson Tatum. Here is the tale of the tape:
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| (Credit Bleacher Report) |
Josh Jackson --- Fr. --- F --- University of Kansas
6'8" 203 lbs.
Jackson has by far the wider outcome of the two forwards. Jackson has a competitive personality and is a tenacious defender who slots in more as a small forward with the ability to transition to an over-sized shooting guard. The irony, however, is that Jackson is not a great shooter, at just 37.8% from beyond the arc in his freshman campaign. Jackson can play strong perimeter defense and is a force on the glass, two things that profile well for the Celtics but are reminders of many players already on the existing roster. Jackson limits the length to truly excel as a premier defender but as mentioned, can compete. On the offensive side, Jackson's jumper will require work but he is strong off the dribble and can take contact to the rim. Jackson is a smart player that can handle systems, but may require more time to mature than the Celtics can handle right now.
 |
| (Credit Draft Express) |
6'8" 204 lbs
Nearly the same size as Jackson, Jayson Tatum profiles as a small forward with the ability to transition down to power forward instead of guard. Tatum has the offensive tools to be a go-to contributor for any NBA team but that does not come without a catch. Tatum currently can excel within the arc and has a solid jumper out to about 18ft - he has been working on stretching his range but that skill remains to be seen. Tatum is a star from another era and needs to develop more aggressive drive techniques and a touch beyond the arc. He must also work on his defensive attentiveness, often failing to close out screens and lose focus on defense. Brad Stevens would not allow this to happen. Tatum is my selection for the Celtics with the 3rd selection simply because he has the offensive talent to take some attention and pressure away from Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics need additional scoring, especially as Jaylen Brown comes into his role as a perimeter defender.
The Pick: Jayson Tatum
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