Boston Celtics: re-drafting Jayson Tatum in the 2017 NBA draft

The Boston Celtics struck gold with the third pick in the 2017 NBA draft. Knowing what we know now, how would that draft go if we performed a “re-draft”?

Looking back at what could have been instead of what did is a common practice among NBA circles. For Boston Celtics fans, lottery picks–particularly in the first half of the draft lottery–have gotten the job done in the last six years.

The jury is out on this year’s first rounders. Neither Romeo Langford nor Grant Williams have done enough to stand out in the rookie class overall, but they have both carved their own niches. The team has been winning (most recently defeating the Clippers in 2OT), so there hasn’t been much of a focus on the pair.

The focus has instead been on the C’s pick just two years prior: Jayson Tatum. Tatum has been spectacular this season, making his first All-Star team and ascending to the team’s new fourth quarter go-to option. With “cardiac” Kemba Walker on the team, that speaks volumes to just how effective Tatum has been all year.

Now that we have seen what Tatum could be, it begs the question: where would he fall if the 2017 draft happened all over?

Well, he certainly would be ahead of the two guys drafted ahead of him in Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball. While it seems incomplete to judge the pair based off of results so far, neither may develop the kind of two-way killer instinct that coach Gregg Popovich has praised Tatum of having.

Earlier this year, Brad Stevens praised his 21-year-old All-Star on his output on the less glamorous side of the ball:

"“I can’t believe it’s not talked about more how good he is defensively,” Brad Stevens said after the game. “I think for whatever reason that gets lost in the shuffle. How much effort he’s been playing with all year has been like, he’s really become a great defender.”"

Tatum himself has made it a goal this season to improve as a two-way player. In speaking with reporters, Tatum brought up two players he admired…and eventually conquered this week:

"“I’ve said it before, want to be one of the best players in the league at both ends,” Tatum said. “Guys like (Paul George) and Kawhi (Leonard) are really dominant on both ends. Been trying a lot this year to match my intensity on offense with defense.”"

It took two overtimes, but Tatum scored 39 points on 14-23 shooting in the team’s 141-133 victory at home over the Clippers. As for Tatum’s defense, it seems that he has finally caught up on that side of the ball perhaps due to the added bulk on his frame from year two to three.

With Tatum more closely resembling what he will be in his prime, it is fair to look back and reassess his draft class of almost three years ago.

Of course, the pick that ended up being Tatum was traded by Philadelphia for the first overall pick in 2017. That ended up being Markelle Fultz and well…we know how that ended up for the Sixers (Jonathon Simmons and a second round pick).

Behind Fultz, there was Los Angeles Lakers draft pick Lonzo Ball. Ball failed to leave a lasting impression for the Lakers due to injuries and a struggling jump shot. However, in Ball’s favor, now with the New Orleans Pelicans, the point guard is establishing himself as a viable starter in the league.

That said, his career has not been as successful as Tatum’s to this point. Tatum, besides his recent All-Star nomination, is a playoff veteran. In fact, he led the Celtics to game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018 against the LeBron James-led Cavaliers.

Other than Tatum, only Donovan Mitchell has become an All-Star from the draft class of 2017 and, thus, would be his main competition to take the number one overall selection in a hypothetical re-draft.

However, based on his new found defensive prowess and his ability to fill in at multiple positions — specifically from the two to the four — Tatum should be seen as the superior of the two; at least, as of this moment.

With this in mind, the Houdini’s top-5 of a hypothetical 2017 re-draft should go as follows:

1. Jayson Tatum — Philadelphia 76ers
2. Donovan Mitchell — Los Angeles Lakers
3. De’Aaron Fox — Boston Celtics
4. John Collins — Phoenix Suns
5. Bam Adebayo — Sacramento Kings

As they have proven on numerous occasions, all of these aforementioned players could add some much needed fire power to those franchises that made the wrong decision on that fine June night back in 2017.

As for Boston Celtics fans, however, they should be happy with the way things panned out, for with the number three pick they nabbed the number one player in that year’s draft.