2017 NBA Draft: Comparing Jayson Tatum and Josh Jackson for the Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics traded the #1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA and are now selecting third. Who should they take: Jayson Tatum or Josh Jackson?

There has been a whole lot of changes in the draft over this past weekend. If you were living under a rock, Boston traded their number one overall pick to the 76ers and are now picking in the third slot.

Let’s just assume that the 76ers select Markelle Fultz and that the Lakers select Lonzo Ball. If that were to happen the Celtics would most likely choose between Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum for the #3 pick. Let’s take a look at both players and see which one the Celtics should select between the two.

Jayson Tatum, out of Duke, is a scorer measuring in at 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. Although he struggled defensively at times, his length should help him develop into a better defender at the next level.

Tatum’s biggest strength is his polished offensive game. He was able to score in a variety ways, especially in isolation.

Josh Jackson measures in at 6-foot-8 with a reported 6-foot-9 wingspan, which scouts have noted as a possible deficit in terms of how it will hurt him at the next level defensively. Surprisingly, Jackson has not had any difficulties on the defensive end as a result, coming in as one of the better defenders in the draft. He has a knack for being in the right place at the right time and is incredibly aggressive on that end of the floor.

Jackson’s biggest strength is his athleticism. He utilizes it on both ends of the floor playing above the rim and getting out in transition on offense, as well as protecting the rim defensively.

Jackson’s biggest weakness is his shooting ability. He can’t really play small-ball as a power forward due to his lack of a jump shot, hitting only 37.8% of his three-point attempts. Teams often dared him to shoot from beyond the arc and he ended up settling for a lot of forced shots as teams dictated what he did offensively at times.

This is where Tatum shines. His offensive game is much more polished and he is able to score from inside the arc extremely well. From beyond the arc he actually shoots worse than Jackson hitting only 34.2% of his three-point shots. However, his mechanics leads many to believe that he can develop a consistent three-point shot, as shown in this video:

https://twitter.com/SInow/status/867025031913721860

His ability to knock down jumpers from anywhere inside the arc is what puts him well above Jackson offensively. He is truly able to create his own shot and excels in one-on-one scenarios.

Jackson is a much better defender and was able to guard players at the 3 and 4 very well all season long. Tatum struggled defensively, and often looked lost. He played a lot of power forward for the Blue Devils where he was faster than most defenders offensively and was able to cover up a lot of his defensive inefficiencies. It still remains to be seen if Tatum can keep up his productivity at the next level where guys are bigger and faster, and that advantage will no longer be there.

However, Tatum has the length to become a better defender at the next level, while Jackson may struggle more covering with less length.

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Overall, Jackson and Tatum are somewhat opposites of each other. You know what you are getting out of Tatum: a well polished player offensively, who shows the mechanics to improve his three-point shot. He is a player who struggled on defense, but possesses the physical tools to improve.

Jackson is a player who will get after it defensively and will use his athleticism on both ends of the floor. However, he lacks a solid jump shot, which may inhibit a lot of his game at the next level.

Both players should make for great picks but the Celtics can only choose one.