– Jayson Tatum
The second player that the Lakers should have taken over Ball was Jayson Tatum. With the third overall pick and one right after the Lakers, the Boston Celtics selected Tatum from Duke. At 6’8” and over 200lbs, Tatum had the body to be a great combo forward in the NBA with his ability to handle the ball and shoot from the perimeter.
Tatum jumped into a strong situation with the Celtics already being a good team in the Eastern Conference, and he played a sizable role on the team right away. In his rookie season, Tatum averaged 13.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. After the strong rookie season, many believed that Tatum would break out as a sophomore.
However, with the addition of Kyrie Irving that season, it may have stunted the growth of Tatum. While Tatum did improve as a sophomore, getting his averages up to 15.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, it wasn’t the jump many expected.
However, in his third season, Tatum became the All-Star many thought he might have reached in his second season. In his third season, Tatum is averaged 23.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. Tatum appears like he is “the guy” now on Boston, and was certainly deserving of his All-Star nod.