2017 NBA Mock Draft: Who will the Indiana Pacers select at No. 18?

There are athletes, and then there are NBA athletes. After that, there’s Josh Jackson. Jackson’s explosiveness is off the charts, and his two-way potential surpasses everyone else in this class. He can grab a rebound and go coast-to-coast and lock down the other team’s star on the next possession.

The problem with Jackson is that his shot is in bad shape. While that might not really matter for a couple years, it will seriously impede his ability to become a legit star. This is particularly worrisome for the Sixers, who already have one non-shooter in Ben Simmons as part of their young core.

Jayson Tatum has the perfect body for an NBA wing. He’s 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, and he showed flashes of similar two-way potential to Josh Jackson during his one season at Duke. Tatum has the footwork and offensive versatility to be a go-to scorer in the NBA. Plus, he could seriously help hide Devin Booker’s defensive woes.

In the modern NBA, Tatum probably functions best as a four on offense, but not necessarily on defense. On last year’s Suns, that wouldn’t have been an issue since P.J. Tucker could have guarded fours while playing the three on offense. This year, it might be tougher. That said, I’ll take that risk for the payoff of what Tatum could be. If he can successfully stretch out to 3-point range, watch out.