Skip to main content

A Way-Too-Early, Scouting Report on Duke's Jayson Tatum

I've seen exactly one game of Jayson Tatum, but there's nothing like overly premature scouting reports for the NBA Draft:

  • He already has a strong body and a will to rebound, both offensively and defensively. His first defensive position, he had a solid box-out, defensive rebound, and quick lead pass. He still needs to learn where to position for rebounds, often times committing to a box-out directly underneath the basket.
  • He seems a little raw around the rim. He didn't go up strong on a dump off, and his shot got swatted. He also threw up a couple floaters that lacked touch.
  • This is irrelevant, but Frank Jackson looks like Bruno Mars, if he were in that one Fresh Prince episode in the country club.
  • His post game is very refined for his age, especially his footwork, which allows him take advantage of his athleticism. He may be a little too reliant on his speed against bigger defenders in the post, which he'll need to work on for the NBA, where he'll be defended by athletic equivalents.
  • He seems to be reluctant to shoot open jumpers, which makes sense for players who've relied on athleticism and rim runs to score their entire life. But his stroke doesn't look broken - probably just a confidence issue.
  • Luke Kennard may have sneaky upside as an NBA prospect. He's got a quick enough release to be a catch-and-shoot, and if he tightens his handle, he could be a secondary slasher and playmaker off curls. Very poor man's Klay Thompson, maybe, or what people hoped Nik Stauskas would pan out to be.
  • Last note on Taytum - he's got quick hands. Both on catches and when defending, especially weaker ball-handlers. He has the sense to slap down on players who haven't secured the ball tightly in triple threat.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The NBA Time Machine

"I do not do cross-era comparisons." - David Jacoby That's how a lot of smart people view the NBA throughout history, as distinct eras, each with their most dominant players and most dominant teams - the 1960s with Russell's Celtics battling the individual greatness of Wilt, the coke-addled 70s with the rise of Kareem, the star power of the 1980s, featuring Magic's Lakers, Bird's Celtics, the Bad Boy Pistons, and Dr. J's Sixers, Jordan in the 90s, the barren wasteland of the early to mid-2000s with Shaq and Kobe, and then LeBron's world. Another way to distinguish these eras are through playing styles: The 1970s were all about gliding as close to the hoop and making smooth finishes near the rim. The 1980s were about pushing the pace and finding an open man in space. Jordan ushered in an era of hero ball with an emphasis on surrounding good post up players with cutting (i.e. MJ in Chicago, Hakeem in Houston, and Ewing in New York), something that c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Buzz City Report - December 13 Edition

I generally watch the NBA to follow individuals players and overarching storylines - LeBron's continued success, Giannis's rise to stardom, the beauty or futility of team building, depending on what team you're talking about. But, ever since Steve Clifford signed with the Hornets, Charlotte's been home to a watchable, playoff-contending team that's fun to follow. So periodically, I'm just going to talk about how I feel the Hornets are doing this year, just to check in on the one team, invariant of their roster (unless they sign someone like Darren Collison), that I support. As of today, the Hornets are 14-11, fifth in the East, coming off consecutive ass-kickings from the Cavaliers and Pacers, where the offense sputtered and was utterly incapable of interior defense. Kemba Walker is writing a narrative that will probably get him selected as an All-Star off the bench, putting up 22.8 points on 46.7/41.4/78.4 splits with a PER of 23.04.  Nic Batum is actually t...
Post a Comment
Read more