Watching closeups of Tatum cup the ball on drives with his long, gangly arms surprised me with just how long he is. Then, I heard (somewhere?) that the Celtics don't think he is done growing. All of this got me thinking ...
What if Danny Ainge's drafting of Jayson Tatum over Josh Jackson and Markelle Fultz, and to a lesser extent Smith, Fox, Isaac, Monk, and Markannen, was a critique of his previous drafts? What if this (and 2016) was a sign of Ainge's growth as a GM?
Most recognize that the greatest drafting mistake of the past 5 years (hindsight is 20/20) was Ainge not being willing to pull the trigger on Giannis. Instead, Ainge played it safe with a smart, efficient big from Gonzaga. There were reports leading up to the draft that Ainge really liked him, even comparing him to Scottie Pippen, but in the end, he couldn't pull the trigger.
2017 included several skilled (albeit lacking in some way) bigs, including Isaac and Markanen at the top of the draft. 2016 included Bender and Poeltl.
On the other side of things, he has always been attracted to competitive, tough-nosed guards/wings (maybe he sees himself in them?), from Allen to Rondo to West to Rozier to Smart. These guys are "his" kinds of picks. 2017's draft include Fox, Smith, Jackson, and Monk who all fit that type in different ways. 2016's draft included Dunn, Hield, and Murray who fit that build in different ways.
We know the story. Instead of picking his usual picks (competitive guards), and instead of selecting the "skilled" big man, Ainge went with the wing with the most size both years. One year, it was Jaylen Brown, who measured 6'7'' with a 7'1'' wingspan. The next year was Tatum, who measured 6'8.5'' with a 6'11'' wingspan.
My different take (even if it was not intentional) is that Ainge didn't want to miss out on the next great wing either year. He saw a bit of Giannis in both Brown and Tatum, and regardless of what any scouts or fans thought, he thought they both had the highest upside at the most important position in modern basketball.
Brown is probably done growing (rumors had it that he put on 1'' his rookie year). Tatum could cap out around 6'10''. Both guys can drive. Both guys can handle the ball. Both guys can shoot. Both guys use their length to be disruptive on defense.
Maybe Ainge regretted passing on Giannis, and saw a little bit of the upside of Giannis in Tatum. Maybe Ainge regretted drafting Olynyk, and therefore did not value Bender, Poeltl, Markannen, or Isaac as highly as others. Althouth Ainge likes competitive guards, maybe he has been slightly disappointed with Smart, particularly because he is going against so many good guards in the modern NBA. Maybe he thought their value has dropped due to market saturation; therefore, maybe he did not value Fultz, Fox, Murray, Smith, Monk, or Jackson as highly as he did before.
Maybe he learned. Maybe he grew as a GM. Maybe that's why he selected tall, lanky, competitive, smart, skilled wings.
Maybe ...