A Different Take on DA's Drafting of Tatum

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I think if Danny wanted to go for a Giannis type of pick, he would have certainly drafted Isaac. Isaac was the high risk high reward pick, the 6/11 forward with a KD, Giannis ceiling. Tatum is a safe pick, like KO was. I love your angle though. I love Tatum pick, but man did I want Isaac draft night, I am excited to see what he turns into.

You think Jonathan Isaac, who had I think 5 points in his team’s tournament loss to an 11 seed, is the KD prospect?

And the guy who averaged 22 points and led his team to the ACC title is like Kelly Olynik?

That’s a pretty scorching hot take.

They have similar physical profiles, but they are not similar players. Isaac does not have the offensive skill-set, nor the first step, of KD or Giannis (especially KD). Tatum is closer, but still not at their level.

[crimson_stallion]

This OP makes no sense to me.

Tatum was the most skilled and NBA ready player in the draft, at 19 years old.  That's why Danny drafted him.

It has nothing to do with Giannis, who was essentially a raw physical specimen who looked like a 2-3 year project at draft time.

Tatum from day one had NBA ready offensive skills, and a natural ability to create offense, and he had the physical profile to be able to play the PF spot later down the track.  They were all major needs for Boston.

When you have a guy available who has that type of scoring talent combined with solid defensive upside and plays a position of need all at the age of 19 - you take it.

The Jalen Brown pick had some Giannis parallels, but the tatum pick with classic Danny.  He was the safest pick while at the same time having as much upside as anybody else in the draft, and had the typical personality (hard working, highly coachable, team first guy) for a Danny Ainge pick.  He pretty much had Danny written all over him.

A perfect example of why Danny chose Olynyk over Giannis would be to look at Jajuan Johnson versus Etwaun Moore.  Both taken in the and draft, but JJJ was taken higher, as the high risk / high reward prospect... Versus Etwaun who was a solid player but perceived as having little upside.

Now JJJ has been out of the league for half a decade while Etwaun made modest contributions from day one, has been a solid rotation player for years, and is currently starting for an NBA team.

Giannis became Giannis, but he just as easily could have become JJJ.  Olynyk was Etwaun - he's been contributing to NBA teams since the day he got in to the league, and likely will for another 8-10 years.

Tatum is in the middle.  He has Kelly Olynyk readiness with Paul Pierce upside. 

[cltc5]

Can't fault ainge for taking Kelly as he had that new NBA big game already going for him so Danny had some vision there and probably hoped like all of us he would be closer to dirk than dirt . James young could shoot in college and I could see by he would pick him as a backup sg/sf if he could maintain.  As we know young went full turtle year after year.  I think ainge has tried to draft where he thinks there is something there to work with as well as need.  Tatum or Jackson was a no brained because fultz was what we already had 3 of.  After Jackson acting like a complete potheaded tool I'm thrilled Danny got Tatum.  So looking forward to see how much this kid grows ball wise