JAYSON TATUM
BIRTHDATE: 3/3/98
POSITION: Shooting Guard
HEIGHT: 6'8"
WEIGHT: 205 lbs
SCHOOL/ TEAM: Duke
CLASS: Freshman
OFFENSE
*Good size for an NBA wing
*Good but not great athlete
*Fluid when transitioning from his jabs and pivots to attacking
*Has a smooth game that helps compensate for lack of elite burst off the dribble
*Will need to increase strength at the next level but has the frame to fill out
*Shows ability to beat bigger defenders off the dribble
*Uses an array of jabs/pivots/crossovers to keep his man off balance
*Particularly effective driving from the high post
*Likes to use a spin move when he gets in the paint
*Can get too deep into the defense without a plan or get caught up in the air as his passing window closes
*Can read where the help is coming from on his drives
*Comfortable driving to both sides of the rim but isn’t a great finisher
*Part of that is because he takes on multiple defenders at the rim
*Has the size and footwork to post smaller guards on the switch and the speed/ballhandling to beat bigger players off the dribble
*Should widen his stance when establishing post position, stronger players move him off his spot in the low/mid-post
*Shaky as a transition ballhandler, tends to get out of control and miss shots at the rim with a full head of steam or turn the ball over
*Much more effective filing the lane or trailing in the secondary break
*Seeks out holes in the defense around the rim and picks up easy buckets and fouls
*Rarely used as a PNR ballhandler but shows signs he can one day be effective
*Settles for the 3 too often but shows good vision finding the roll man and the crosscourt shooter
*Almost never makes contact when setting ball screens
*Generally pops to the 3 or rolls into establishing post position as the PNR screener
*Tends to fade unnecessarily on his pull up jumper
DEFENSE
*Slides feet well in space
*Gives quick guards the right amount of cushion to defend the drive but still contests well
*Even when beat off the dribble, sticks with the play and contests drives from behind
*Takes up good help position when guarding shooters, allows him to get good contests on spot ups without being out of control
*Tends to run right into ball screens and switches most of those he is put in
*Fights hard in the post but struggles vs bigger players
KHAIRI AKILI -MARCH 8, 2017
Jayson Tatum is a prospect who I was not really high on early in the season when he first returned from injury. At the end of the season he was one of the best players in all of college basketball, but I still have the same questions about his fit on the next level.
Tatum, like Malik Monk, is a professional scorer who can get buckets in bunches but does not really offer anything else if having a bad night on offense.
Tatum possesses a nice frame and decent athleticism for an NBA wing player but I believe he’s best suited as a small ball 4. I love his low to mid post scoring package. He possesses good footwork/ advanced jab series and uses his strength to overpower smaller wing players.
Early in the season he struggled finishing at rim in traffic and lacked explosiveness around the rim but a lot of that attributed to coming off an injury. His transition scoring was really disappointing but again, I blame it on the foot injury he suffered before the season started..
He still seems to me more like a 4 with some 3 skills. I also thought he lacked great feel for the game and looked to go one on one too often and displayed a spotty jumper in January.
His advanced stats on January 31st were
21% Spot Up - Below Average
21% Transition - Below Average
20% Isolation - Very Good
7% Post Up - Excellent
At the end of the season:
23% Isolation - Very Good
23% Spot Up - Average
17% Transition - Good
6.5% Post Up - Excellent
Tatum’s shooting is a small area of concern but I don’t think it will be a problem long term. He’s an excellent FT% (85%) and if FT shooting is a sign of shooting touch he should be able to improve in that area over time.
Overall, I think if a team needs an isolation scorer who can play in a small ball lineup then Tatum is the guy.
RAFAEL BARLOWE - MARCH 29, 2017
Jayson Tatum has great size for a 3 and looks like he can even play some small ball 4. He's a good athlete with good footwork out of the mid post. You can tell that's where he's spent a lot of time honing his skills as he shows step backs and rip throughs in his arsenal. I think he has a lot of upside as a scorer. He plays like Paul George is his favorite player. He might even be able to play some PNR though it isn't asked of him at Duke.
His jumper is ugly and he really can't shoot. He has a lot of bad misses, too; like off left and right. Because he's not a shooter, he'll often drive into a congested lane and doesn't have the above the rim athleticism for that. He wants to ISO a lot so he'll have to make an adjustment in the league because I don't know if he's efficient enough to just give the ball to.
POSITIVES:
Great size for a 3 or a small ball 4
Smooth athlete
Very good footwork
Shows flashes of a very good ISO game
Has a lot of upside as a scorer
Plays like Paul George on an off night from the field post leg injury
AREAS OF CONCERN:
A lot of motions in his jumper
Not a shooter in transition so he drives into set defenses a lot
Really not a shooter, has a lot of bad misses
Will a team give him the keys to ISO?
He's going to have to spend hours in the gym to develop anything resembling a consistent jumper
JAMES BARLOWE - DECEMBER 29, 2016
