The 2017 NBA draft was one to remember for fans of the Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum in particular, as then-President of Basketball Operation Danny Ainge fleeced the Philadelphia 76ers by trading back so they could draft guard Markelle Fultz with the top overall pick of the draft, taking the St. Louis native instead.
We all know how that proposition ended up working out for each side of the deal, and imagine the Sixers would love a mulligan on that trade. But where would everyone else involved end up being drafted if the big day was done over knowing what we know now?
Frank Urbina over at our sister site Hoops Hype put together a re-draft of the 2017 class — let’s look at the new draft position for three current Celtics in their estimation.
— Dr. Justin Quinn (@justinquinnn) January 26, 2023
No. 1 pick: Jayson Tatum (Actual position: No. 3)
“The only player in the 2017 class to even approach MVP-level consideration, Jayson Tatum fell to No. 3 in his draft but is the obvious best player from that group now,” writes Urbina.
“Tatum has a bit of an old-school game with a new-school twist, as he loves mid-range jumpers and to face up foes on the perimeter, though he shoots the three-ball well enough that he remains very efficient for an elite-level scorer such as himself.”
No. 13 pick: Derrick White (Actual position: No. 29)
“Derrick White’s journey to the NBA is actually an interesting one, as the now-28-year-old actually spent three seasons playing at the D-II level in college before transferring to Colorado … which probably scared some teams from using a higher draft pick on him despite impressing in his lone season as a Buffalo,” writes the H/H analyst.
“White isn’t a star but he’s a solid starting-level guard in the NBA, one who can run an offense, shoot with his feet set or off the dribble and create various impactful plays on the defensive end.”
No. 24 pick: Justin Jackson (Actual position: No. 15)
“An important player in the Tar Heels’ 2016-17 national championship run, Justin Jackson had the makings of a 3-and-D wing with some extra juice on the offensive end, though things haven’t really turned out that way for the former champion wing,” opines Urbina.
“Jackson’s lack of strength and limited athleticism have caused him to be an end-of-bench wing at this point, though, to his credit, at least he still remains on a roster.”
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