“smh, Lakers had Jayson Tatum right there!”: NBA Twitter reacts to how the Celtics traded down in the 2017 NBA Draft and still got the best player

Jeet Pukhrambam | 01/05/2022
"smh, Lakers had Jayson Tatum right there!": NBA Twitter reacts to how the Celtics traded down in the 2017 NBA Draft and still got the best player

The 2017 NBA draft is a big “what if?” The draft class was stacked and the Celtics pulled off a heist by taking Jayson Tatum at no.3. 

Imagine being able to trade down and still get the best player in a draft class? How often does that happen? Not a lot we suppose.

The biggest example in front of us is how the Boston Celtics gave up the no.1 pick and still managed to draft superstar Jayson Tatum.

The 2017 NBA draft included some stars, Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo were notably drafted late. The biggest “what if?” is still the reason why the Lakers opted for Lonzo Ball over Jayson Tatum.

There is also the fact that the 76ers traded their third pick and go no.1 to take Markelle Fultz. The shooting guard is currently playing as a bench option for the Orlando Magic.

Also read: “Kevin Durant hasn’t won sh*t without Steph Curry!”: NBA Twitter ROASTS Nets star as Brooklyn faces potential to be SWEPT by Jayson Tatum in the first round

How did the Lakers and 76ers both lose out on a superstar like Jayson Tatum?

The answer is quite simple. Media bias. At the time, it was believed that Fultz had a game that would be eerily similar to one of James Harden. The drive and the shooting were both reminiscent of the former NBA MVP.

How and why Markelle Fultz’s game never translated to the NBA is still a mystery. The second consensus pick at the time was Lonzo Ball, a versatile pass-first point guard.

The Lakers desperately needed someone to fill that role and they already had the second pick. Jayson Tatum was the projected third pick, a wing player with a wide skillset.

Danny Ainge knew that Jayson was the most NBA-ready player in the draft. His instincts proved right. Tatum is now one of the best players in the league.

 

Also read: “Taking Jayson Tatum over Kevin Durant as the best player and it’s not close”: Eastern Conference scout firm in his belief that Celtics forward has eclipsed Net #7

 

Post Edited By: Jeet Pukhrambam
Celtics Jayson Tatum Lakers NBA

About the author

Jeet Pukhrambam

Jeet Pukhrambam is The SportsRush's Lead Editor for Basketball. After freelancing for five years as an independent writer, Jeet created thousands of blog posts and articles. He now covers intriguing news reports and throwback stories on all things NBA. His interest in NBA started with the ascendancy of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2016-17 season. Since then, Jeet has managed to coalesce his knowledge of the game and his writing to create pieces that are reflective of the current state of the league. Now, he ensures that The SportsRush produces the highest quality of writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, cooking, traveling, and dancing to techno. Jeet takes pride in his critical thinking, music playlists, and his love for spaghetti.

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