While Jayson Tatum has been projected as a top-five pick, in a draft as loaded as the one going down on June 22, he is liable to be one of a few top level athletes that slips into the middle of the opening round. The Minnesota Timberwolves would be a logical team to scoop up the 6-foot-8, 205 pound product in such a scenario.
The freshman product from Duke had a high ceiling as a five-star recruit coming into the school year, but an unfortunate foot sprain to start the season set him back behind the other top prospects until his return in December. However, when he did hit the court, he exploded with the talent everyone suspected he possessed.
He is a silky offensive threat that can small ball as a power forward or switch back to his more traditional spot at small forward, with the ability to score comfortably from everywhere. In a league that is chugging towards more position-less basketball, he would be another diverse scorer to squeeze between Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Evaluating Talent
On offense he averaged 16.8 points per game, shooting 34 percent from downtown and 45 percent from the field. While he needs to grow in his passing attack, his isolation game is one of the best in the draft. According to Draft Express, nearly a quarter of his offensive possessions were isolation matches, in which he constantly was able to score on opponents because of the lopsided matchup in talent, proving his ability to create his own shot time and again because of his size paired with his willingness to go inside or outside to score.
He also shot 40 percent off of catch-and-shoot opportunities, showing his ability to create space away from the ball and open himself up in the offense. His isolation basketball and ceiling as a shooter conjure up images of a youthful Carmelo Anthony. With Wiggins, Tatum and Towns all able to play isolation ball effectively, and good-passing young guards who are able to compensate for the passing deficit from Tatum, the offense would have some tantalizing potential.
On the defensive side, Tatum faces a few more deficits paired with upside and growth that his talent could provide. He averaged 7.3 boards and 1.1 blocks with 1.3 steals. He has a nose for the ball and can grab turnovers along with boards. While he has work to do when guarding someone in man defense, he can still do enough work in other areas to keep from being a liability.
The final piece to look at when evaluating a prospect is how they play in high pressure games against great competition, much like in March Madness. While it is easy to put too much weight in such games, they still can provide a valuable look into how a player performs in crunch time against worthy opponents. He hit big shots and scored 15 points in Duke’s second-round game against South Carolina. However, he only collected three rebounds and had defensive lapses in the paint, especially against Gamecocks star Sindarius Thornwell.
Why He Fits
Overall, Minnesota needs young scorers with defensive upside; players that can fill space and create their own shots. The Wolves would have to be getting a great versatile piece that can play at least two positions on offense, with defensive upside. His athletic ability will keep him on the floor as he sharpens his skill. He can be the third player that can elevate a roster that already has two super-stars in the making. He is a consistently great offensive threat that can build on the defensive talent he already has.
