In the months and weeks leading up to the 2017 NBA Draft, most of the talk that didn't focus on Lonzo Ball was centered around what the Boston Celtics would do with the No. 1 overall pick. They ended up trading it with the 76ers, who took point guard Markelle Fultz. The Celtics took forward Jayson Tatum at No. 3, which they acquired from the Sixers in the deal. At least one 76ers legend apparently laments the move.

The rarely outspoken Julius "Dr. J" Erving criticized the pick with the benefit of hindsight, saying that "Tatum probably should have been the first pick in the draft" on ESPN's "Get Up." 

"He was there," Erving added. "I guess it was all about the fit. We took Fultz. Philly took Fultz. Obviously his rookie year, I think he'll be a rookie again next year, sort of like Simmons, because of all the injuries."

Fultz, who spent most of the season injured and whose broken free throw stroke and missing jump shot became one of most joked-about topics in the NBA, responded to the comments on Thursday, saying that "I proved why I should be the No. 1 pick in college and they drafted me as the No. 1 pick. Now, I'm here. All I can do is improve and keep moving from here. That's all it is," per The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey.

Erving's sentiments are understandable. Tatum has enjoyed a meteoric rise this postseason on a surprising (and beaten up) Celtics team, averaging 17.4 points per game for Boston, including a 21-point performance in Thursday's Game 2 against the Sixers and a 28-point game in Game 1. Erving's sentiments also need some contextualization. 

Tatum is playing under arguably the best coach in the NBA in Brad Stevens, and required some accelerated growth due to injuries to Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, not to mention a Marcus Smart injury that caused him to miss extensive time. Smart has returned, but he doesn't provide the scoring that the likes of Irving or Hayward can, with his points coming in bursts.

Fultz, meanwhile, was always going to back up Ben Simmons at point guard, played only 14 regular-season games, and hasn't seen action since Game 3 of the Heat series. The 76ers have been patiently growing their draft picks since 2014. Fultz is no exception. Erving himself noted that Fultz could well end up playing as a rookie next season due to all of his games missed, just as Simmons did this year.

With that being said, Tatum has looked like a bona fide star this postseason. Even though Erving's comments may seem like a slight toward Fultz, and by their nature they are, they could just as easily be looked at as praise for Tatum. He has far exceeded expectations this season as he and the Celtics have weathered injury after injury to go up 2-0 on the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

A must-win Game 3 for the 76ers will be on Saturday as the series moves to Philadelphia. The Sixers will try to recover from a rough Game 2 loss after they jumped out to an early lead. Meanwhile, Tatum will try to lead the Celtics to a presumably insurmountable 3-0 lead alongside Terry Rozier, Smart and Al Horford.