Jayson Tatum

#1
The guy I think is most likely to be there at 5 and he doesn't even have his own thread.

I am all in for Fox but I'm afraid he goes top 4. When I research Tatum there is plenty of skepticism out there (a lesser Rudy Gay... stuff like that).

Can anyone lift my spirits that Tatum would be great pick? Or would we want to defy the common rankings and reach for Smith here instead?

I just am crossing all my fingers and toes that Fox is there at 5 but his hype machine is very strong and I'm thinking it is gonna be Tatum. So I want to get excited about that but I can't yet.

Even Doug on the radio sounds luke warm "or we could wind up with that kid from Duke".... pretty unenthusiastic.

What do you guys think of Tatum?
 
#3
Smith or Monk way before Tatum for me. He's a guy I'm not excited about at all. A lessor version of Rudy is how he seems to be described, a big pass for me. Doesn't seem like a top five pick.
Well that didn't help my mood. Isn't our only hope at Fox that Tatum goes top 4? Won't Vlade get destroyed if he takes a SG Monk given the state of his roster with Buddy & Bogdan & Malachi?
 
#4
I would be ok with Tatum, if Fox goes i the top 4. If Fox is gone, I think we will have to decide between Smith and Tatum, and personally I'd go with Tatum. Just my feeling, but I see some Paul Pierce in his game.

My first choice at 5 is Fox, and I really hope he's still available when we pick. Otherwise, I'd be happy with Tatum or Smith. I like Monk too, but I don't think it's a good fit for us.
 
#5
Well that didn't help my mood. Isn't our only hope at Fox that Tatum goes top 4? Won't Vlade get destroyed if he takes a SG Monk given the state of his roster with Buddy & Bogdan & Malachi?
I don't think so... Seems like a fairly decent shot Philly goes Monk at #3. If not I think he's a nice pick at #5 assuming he's more Damian Lillard then Ben McLemore.
 

Capt. Factorial

trifolium contra tempestatem subrigere certum est
Staff member
#7
Can anyone lift my spirits that Tatum would be great pick? Or would we want to defy the common rankings and reach for Smith here instead?
I for one like Tatum a lot. He's a pure 3, he has those games where he just lights it up from downtown, so I'm pretty sure he's going to become a great shooter, he can drive, he can pass, he improved on D over the season...after a slow start I drooled over this guy for the second half of the year, and given the off-court issues I've seen with Jackson and his occasionally lackluster play...obviously if I were actually pulling the trigger I'd need to know more but from my desk chair I'd probably take Tatum over Jackson. Jackson is more athletic, Tatum is more polished.

I feel like Tatum's floor is very high - he is going to be a good player in the NBA, the question is whether he will be a great player. Fox, on the other hand, has that really nagging problem that he can't shoot right now, so I feel like there's some risk there. Maybe Fox's ceiling is higher than Tatum's but I would certainly be comfortable drafting Tatum.
 
#8
I was lukewarm on him at first, but now feel like he's going to be a very very good player if not a great one in the NBA. Was worried about his athleticism but think he has that sneaky athletic ability, kinda like Carmelo coming out of 'Cuse.

He's just a complete basketball player and a guy you can get baskets from in the half court.

If Boston doesn't feel like they can't land Hayward in FA, or George or Butler via trade, I could see if Tatum falls to #5 they might be interested in trading Fultz for Tatum. Just a hunch and who knows what the price tag would be.
 
#9
I love Jayson Tatum. I was somewhat disappointed when we pushed our record a little bit at the end of the year and were looking at the 8th pick and out of Tatum's range. I'm really excited now that we are back in the conversation of taking him(and he's kind of the last option according to most). I go back and forth on who I like more between Tatum and Fox. Tatum is more of a sure thing but his best attribute is that he can score in iso situations which is not everyone's cup of tea. I think his play-making ability is understated and he is a willing and able passer. He seems like a mature kid and I would be confident in his ability and willingness to do what is needed to help his team. I would be really excited to watch Coach Joerger and his staff develop Tatum especially considering the other talent we have. I'm probably in the minority but I think Tatum has star level potential and I would love to see him on the Kings.
 
#11
The guy I think is most likely to be there at 5 and he doesn't even have his own thread.

I am all in for Fox but I'm afraid he goes top 4. When I research Tatum there is plenty of skepticism out there (a lesser Rudy Gay... stuff like that).

Can anyone lift my spirits that Tatum would be great pick? Or would we want to defy the common rankings and reach for Smith here instead?

I just am crossing all my fingers and toes that Fox is there at 5 but his hype machine is very strong and I'm thinking it is gonna be Tatum. So I want to get excited about that but I can't yet.

Even Doug on the radio sounds luke warm "or we could wind up with that kid from Duke".... pretty unenthusiastic.

What do you guys think of Tatum?
I can think of 2 college basketball/draft experts who have Tatum ranked #2 on their boards: Aaron Torres & Sam Vecenie.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#12
I for one like Tatum a lot. He's a pure 3, he has those games where he just lights it up from downtown, so I'm pretty sure he's going to become a great shooter, he can drive, he can pass, he improved on D over the season...after a slow start I drooled over this guy for the second half of the year, and given the off-court issues I've seen with Jackson and his occasionally lackluster play...obviously if I were actually pulling the trigger I'd need to know more but from my desk chair I'd probably take Tatum over Jackson. Jackson is more athletic, Tatum is more polished.

I feel like Tatum's floor is very high - he is going to be a good player in the NBA, the question is whether he will be a great player. Fox, on the other hand, has that really nagging problem that he can't shoot right now, so I feel like there's some risk there. Maybe Fox's ceiling is higher than Tatum's but I would certainly be comfortable drafting Tatum.
What is the number one thing that you think Tatum has to work on and get better at? And where do you think he is as far as BBIQ goes?
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#13
I haven't done a thread on Tatum up to this point, because I figured we had no chance of drafting him. But make no mistake, if Fox is gone and Tatum is there at five, then you have to take him. He's too good to pass up. Early in the college season, I happened to mention that at times he reminded me a bit of Rudy Gay. Now I wish I hadn't made that comparison. I was referring to Tatum's mid-range post up game. At times he looked like a Gay clone. But as the season wore on, he started playing more on the perimeter, where his three point shot steadily improved, and his ability to put the ball on the floor and drive was put on display.

Tatum is your prototypical small forward with star ability. Let me put it this way. Everyone would be happy if we were able to snag Otto Porter in freeagency. Well I believe that Tatum has all the tools and athleticism to be a better player than Porter. So if you like Porter, you'll love Tatum. Here are a few video's of Tatum. Sorry about the spanish. Every once in a while this happens to me because I live in Mexico.







Tatum's jumpshot needs a few tweaks, but he's almost a 90% free throw shooter which bodes well for his jumpshot.
 

Capt. Factorial

trifolium contra tempestatem subrigere certum est
Staff member
#15
What is the number one thing that you think Tatum has to work on and get better at? And where do you think he is as far as BBIQ goes?
I think the number one thing is that he has a tendency to ISO a bit too much. He needs to cut down on that, but I think better D in the NBA will probably force that by itself. I like his BBIQ, again with exception of the ISOs. Poise is really good.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#16
I haven't done a thread on Tatum up to this point, because I figured we had no chance of drafting him. But make no mistake, if Fox is gone and Tatum is there at five, then you have to take him. He's too good to pass up. Early in the college season, I happened to mention that at times he reminded me a bit of Rudy Gay. Now I wish I hadn't made that comparison. I was referring to Tatum's mid-range post up game. At times he looked like a Gay clone. But as the season wore on, he started playing more on the perimeter, where his three point shot steadily improved, and his ability to put the ball on the floor and drive was put on display.

Tatum is your prototypical small forward with star ability. Let me put it this way. Everyone would be happy if we were able to snag Otto Porter in freeagency. Well I believe that Tatum has all the tools and athleticism to be a better player than Porter. So if you like Porter, you'll love Tatum. Here are a few video's of Tatum. Sorry about the spanish. Every once in a while this happens to me because I live in Mexico.







Tatum's jumpshot needs a few tweaks, but he's almost a 90% free throw shooter which bodes well for his jumpshot.
Those passes that he made on the move are pretty impressive to me. Granted, we only see the successful passes and not the failed passes, but still, it looks pretty impressive. (That isn't what I think of when I think of Rudy Gay, by the way). I really like 3s who can make passes off the dribble; it really helps the offense a lot.
 
#17
I haven't done a thread on Tatum up to this point, because I figured we had no chance of drafting him. But make no mistake, if Fox is gone and Tatum is there at five, then you have to take him. He's too good to pass up. Early in the college season, I happened to mention that at times he reminded me a bit of Rudy Gay. Now I wish I hadn't made that comparison. I was referring to Tatum's mid-range post up game. At times he looked like a Gay clone. But as the season wore on, he started playing more on the perimeter, where his three point shot steadily improved, and his ability to put the ball on the floor and drive was put on display.

Tatum is your prototypical small forward with star ability. Let me put it this way. Everyone would be happy if we were able to snag Otto Porter in freeagency. Well I believe that Tatum has all the tools and athleticism to be a better player than Porter. So if you like Porter, you'll love Tatum. Here are a few video's of Tatum. Sorry about the spanish. Every once in a while this happens to me because I live in Mexico.







Tatum's jumpshot needs a few tweaks, but he's almost a 90% free throw shooter which bodes well for his jumpshot.
I pretty confident that that's French. :confused:

Makes me like him more.
 
#18
I haven't done a thread on Tatum up to this point, because I figured we had no chance of drafting him. But make no mistake, if Fox is gone and Tatum is there at five, then you have to take him. He's too good to pass up. Early in the college season, I happened to mention that at times he reminded me a bit of Rudy Gay. Now I wish I hadn't made that comparison. I was referring to Tatum's mid-range post up game. At times he looked like a Gay clone. But as the season wore on, he started playing more on the perimeter, where his three point shot steadily improved, and his ability to put the ball on the floor and drive was put on display.

Tatum is your prototypical small forward with star ability. Let me put it this way. Everyone would be happy if we were able to snag Otto Porter in freeagency. Well I believe that Tatum has all the tools and athleticism to be a better player than Porter. So if you like Porter, you'll love Tatum. Here are a few video's of Tatum. Sorry about the spanish. Every once in a while this happens to me because I live in Mexico.







Tatum's jumpshot needs a few tweaks, but he's almost a 90% free throw shooter which bodes well for his jumpshot.
Thanks! I'm also curious to hear your opinion on why you'd take Tatum over Jackson.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#19
Thanks! I'm also curious to hear your opinion on why you'd take Tatum over Jackson.
I like them both. Jackson is a freak athlete, and he plays with a passion and an edge that you love to see. It can be argued that he's the best defensive player in the draft. There are times when you think there's more than one of him on the court. He seems to be everywhere, and that's at both ends of the court. At the same time, while he's good at a lot of things, he's not great an any one individual thing, other than defense. I have to admit that I'm nit picking here and going more on my gut reaction to him while ignoring the results. Which is not always a good thing to do.

Jackson, like Fox, plays at almost a frantic pace, but appears more out of control at times than Fox. And while Jackson shot around 37% from the three, he only shot around 55 % from the free throw line, which is a bit concerning. So I wish I had a little more to go on in that area. Make no mistake, if Jackson can polish off his skills, your looking at a potential superstar. But right now, the parts are greater than the sum. Could have said the same thing about Lebron when he came into the league.

Speaking of Lebron, if you break him down statistically, he isn't great at any one thing, except maybe passing the ball for a player his size. He's an average free throw shooter. Average 3 pt shooter, average to a little above average rebounder. Doesn't block shots, and is average at stealing the ball. His overall shooting percentage is very good at around 54%. It's what's between Lebrons ears that makes him great. Don't get me wrong, he's a very good athlete as well, or at least used to be. He's lost a little at 32 years of age. I suspect that if you could put Lebron's brain in Josh Jackson's body, you'd have another superstar.

But I digress. Point is, Jackson may be the next superstar. Or not! I like Tatum because he appears more polished overall, and always seems under control. I also like that he seemed to get better as the season wore on. He's also a good defender, and does it more with technique than raw athleticism, and that's not to say that Tatum isn't a good athlete. He's just not the athlete that Jackson is. I doubt you can go wrong with either player, and I won't predict who will be the better player. I honestly don't know.

One last thing I'll say about Jackson, and don't make more of it than it is. But there are times when Jackson can be a bit of a head case. He has a temper that occasionally pops up. I don't think it's a major issue, but it is there. Remember, this is a player that only knows how to win, and doesn't accept losing well. He plays with that edge, and sometimes a temper comes with that.
 
#21
I haven't done a thread on Tatum up to this point, because I figured we had no chance of drafting him. But make no mistake, if Fox is gone and Tatum is there at five, then you have to take him. He's too good to pass up. Early in the college season, I happened to mention that at times he reminded me a bit of Rudy Gay. Now I wish I hadn't made that comparison. I was referring to Tatum's mid-range post up game. At times he looked like a Gay clone. But as the season wore on, he started playing more on the perimeter, where his three point shot steadily improved, and his ability to put the ball on the floor and drive was put on display.

Tatum is your prototypical small forward with star ability. Let me put it this way. Everyone would be happy if we were able to snag Otto Porter in freeagency. Well I believe that Tatum has all the tools and athleticism to be a better player than Porter. So if you like Porter, you'll love Tatum. Here are a few video's of Tatum. Sorry about the spanish. Every once in a while this happens to me because I live in Mexico.







Tatum's jumpshot needs a few tweaks, but he's almost a 90% free throw shooter which bodes well for his jumpshot.
Can't think of a person on this board whose endorsement makes me feel better than yours. Thanks Baja! So we really are sitting under the Christmas tree at #5 if you're right. Yay!!
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#22
Can't think of a person on this board whose endorsement makes me feel better than yours. Thanks Baja! So we really are sitting under the Christmas tree at #5 if you're right. Yay!!
Well, if he turns out to be a bust, I'll deny anything I may have posted. Naw, I don't think you can miss with him. He may never be a star, which is his ceiling, but I think his floor is a solid starter in the NBA and that's not a bad floor to have.
 
#23
I for one like Tatum a lot. He's a pure 3, he has those games where he just lights it up from downtown, so I'm pretty sure he's going to become a great shooter, he can drive, he can pass, he improved on D over the season...after a slow start I drooled over this guy for the second half of the year, and given the off-court issues I've seen with Jackson and his occasionally lackluster play...obviously if I were actually pulling the trigger I'd need to know more but from my desk chair I'd probably take Tatum over Jackson. Jackson is more athletic, Tatum is more polished.

I feel like Tatum's floor is very high - he is going to be a good player in the NBA, the question is whether he will be a great player. Fox, on the other hand, has that really nagging problem that he can't shoot right now, so I feel like there's some risk there. Maybe Fox's ceiling is higher than Tatum's but I would certainly be comfortable drafting Tatum.
Yeah, I feel like people are clamping on to this "lesser Rudy Gay" label and it's ruining the rep of a super talented player on both ends of the court. People would have a MUCH different opinion on him if they followed his last 10-15 games. He got so much better in basically every facet, it's ridiculous. He's an awesome rebounder as a SF and he'll be able to run some small-ball PF too pretty easily. He can create his own shot and get to the rim (38% FT rate, very good) and there isn't a shot he can't make on the floor. Despite the ISO tendencies, I don't think he's selfish at all; I think it was more of a scheme decision and him just taking ownership of the Duke offense as the best player on the team. He's also a very good and willing defender.
 
#24
I'm so tired of watching Iso ball.. I would much rather go with Isaac if we take a SF at 5. Hes got way more potential..
I wont be upset if we take Tatum.. but I also wont be as thrilled as I would be if we took any of the other top prospects.

Fox, Jackson, DSJ, Isaac, Monk, Tatum is the best target order imo.
 
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#25
I'm so tired of watching Iso ball.. I would much rather go with Isaac if we take a SF at 5. Hes got way more potential..
I wont be upset if we take Tatum.. but I also wont be thrilled like I would be if we took any of the other top prospects.

Fox, Jackson, DSJ, Isaac, Monk, Tatum is the best target order imo.
I would disagree.. The more I watch videos on Tatum I come away thinking Tatum has just as much potential.
 
#27
Well, if he turns out to be a bust, I'll deny anything I may have posted. Naw, I don't think you can miss with him. He may never be a star, which is his ceiling, but I think his floor is a solid starter in the NBA and that's not a bad floor to have.
Hey Baja, if you've posted this before forgive me, but I always find your posts very fascinating. Based on what you've seen, who would you pick if you had the option of Tatum, Jackson or Fox? Which do you think has the highest bust probability?
 
#28
I'm so tired of watching Iso ball.. I would much rather go with Isaac if we take a SF at 5. Hes got way more potential..
I wont be upset if we take Tatum.. but I also wont be as thrilled as I would be if we took any of the other top prospects.

Fox, Jackson, DSJ, Isaac, Monk, Tatum is the best target order imo.
I don't like watching iso ball either, but I don't think that's all there is to Tatum's game. He has that ability for sure, but he's also a good passer and defender and does both willingly. If we did in fact draft him I'd have confidence in his ability to fit well in a team concept but have that extra ability to go get a bucket when you really need one.
 

gunks

Hall of Famer
#29
Thanks for the rundown all you collage BB aficionados!

So Tatum isn't so much a "less athletic Rudy"... more of a "less athletic Rudy who is also a willing passer and actually gives a **** about defense"!

I'd be OK with drafting that player.