Why the Orlando Magic should draft Jayson Tatum

Swiss Army Knife

For as much as everyone wants to harp on his post game and footwork, isolation scoring will not make or break his pro career. What really matters is whether he can provide value without consistently having the ball in his hands.

The good thing about Tatum is he not only has a myriad of tools he can use in multiple phases of the game, but his weaknesses are relatively fixable and easy to identify.

He did not prove he could consistently add offensive value off the ball at Duke. At least not to the degree where you would bet on him turning into the next Klay Thompson – a college isolation scorer who turned into one of the most dynamic catch-and-shoot guys in league history.

But all the talk of his mid-post scoring does his other skills a major disservice.

Sure, 34.2% from three is not exactly Stephen Curry-esque. But that does not mean much without proper context. Countless players have turned similar NCAA numbers into lights-out outside shooting in the NBA.

The reverse is also true. There is no perfect way to predict what will happen at the next level, but there are indicators scouts, fans and analysts can use to make basic projections.

Orlando Magic

The first of these is free throw shooting, at which Tatum is historically elite. His mark of 84.9 percent is fifth-best among freshmen non-guards with at least 100 attempts since 1992.

His form is fluid. He knows how to use his feet. “Polished” is a word that almost becomes ubiquitous when discussing Tatum, but it holds true in many phases of his game.

Another indicator is shot form. Tatum’s release is slow, which does not do him any favors when a defender is closing out. Not only does that impede his ability to get off clean catch-and-shoot looks, but it also makes attacking the catch more difficult. His lack of explosiveness further compacts that effect, making him seem even less well-rounded.

It is a small chain of events set off by very simple, fixable weaknesses. Those are things all prospects coming into the pros need to deal with.

Adding the threat of a 3-pointer – which Tatum most likely will – would unlock so much for him. He is already a decent enough ball handler to run the pick and roll, but improving his outside shot would make it impossible for defenders to go under screens on him, making him a deadlier scorer and facilitator.

He has shown he can use screens to get open and find mismatches. A better outside shot would help him exploit those openings even more effectively and make it easier to attack closeouts even without elite explosiveness.

His transition scoring certainly would not be hurt by a deadly three-point shot, but it also does not need one. He may not be particularly explosive, but with a head of steam, he is very difficult to stop.