With the NBA Draft order now shaken up a bit after the recent agreement to terms to trade the No. 1 overall pick to the Philadelphia 76ers, it is now time for the Boston Celtics to do some shuffling of their own.
Having changed to the No. 3 overall pick in the Draft, the Celtics seemed to have honed in on Kansas freshman Josh Jackson as their preferred selection, but if by any scenario, he is drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers instead of Lonzo Ball, the team could opt for high-octane Duke forward Jayson Tatum, according to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.
Tatum is a high-ceiling prospect with plenty of talent to tap into, having averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds as a freshman. Tatum made 34.2 percent of his three-point attempts and could play the four-spot due to his back-to-the-basket game, but is primarily a small forward.
At 6-foot-8, the 19-year-old presents enough of a skill set to build on and incorporate into the fold, doing so at the defensive end, averaging 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks — a welcome sight for head coach Brad Stevens, who's a stickler for defensive-minded players.
Jackson edges Tatum in the shooting department, stroking a 37.8 percent clip from deep — an area the Celtics have been intent on improving next season. The Kansas forward does struggle at the stripe, shooting a mere 56.6 percent during his freshman year — an issue that can prove correctable for a guy that has decent range and pull-up ability.
The Celtics can't take a Ball pick from L.A. for granted, and they seem not to be falling behind one bit, as president Danny Ainge has milked as much bang for his buck as possible, trading the No. 1 selection for three first-round picks and setting himself up for a strong next couple of years.
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