With the first overall pick, give me Jayson Tatum

The NBA is coming into a brand new era. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry have all been family names for during the last ten years, even for individuals who don’t comply with the league. Regardless of nonetheless being thought-about among the finest gamers within the league, their careers appear to be winding down and the tip nearly in sight.

Guys like Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden, who’ve all been thought-about stars on this period, have began to maneuver into lesser roles, too — nonetheless taking part in nicely, however not on the top-of-the-class ranges we as soon as knew them for. Celtics followers like myself are definitely dreading it, however Al Horford, presently the fourth oldest energetic participant at 38 years previous, may solely have a pair extra years within the tank himself.

The torch will probably be handed quickly sufficient, and there’s no query about whose arms it would find yourself in. The brand new era of NBA basketball will probably be outlined by guys like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, and Boston’s very personal, Jayson Tatum.

Every of them is dominant in their very own proper. Every of them is the man on their respective group. Every of them has a number of elite expertise that may lead a group to the promised land. If I needed to decide considered one of these gamers to begin a franchise with, the selection definitely wouldn’t be straightforward. For me, the choice would come right down to choosing the man who’s best to construct round.

Proper now, that man is Jayson Tatum.

Don’t get me mistaken. As a lot of a homer as I could also be, I gained’t even entertain recommendations that there’s presently a greater basketball participant on this planet than Nikola Jokic. In truth, I wouldn’t even say that Tatum is the second-best participant on this planet, with Giannis being forward of him as nicely. Personally, I presently have JT because the third-best, and I don’t suppose it’s inconceivable to have Shai or Luka above him both.

The query isn’t about who’s presently the very best, although. That is about figuring out which participant will provide you with the very best probability to construct a championship caliber group. Who makes it simpler so that you can assemble the remainder of your roster to ensure success? Who can hold that window open for the longest?

Thus far, solely three of them have confirmed their means to win their group a hoop. Solely considered one of them has led his group to a number of Finals appearances. That very same participant can be the one one to by no means have had a shedding season, and the one one to by no means miss the playoffs in his profession.

I’ll offer you one wild guess who that participant is.

Now, you could be questioning what my standards is for figuring out who “the simplest to construct round” is. To me, it’s fairly easy; it comes right down to the participant who’s probably the most versatile. Can they rating at an elite stage? Can they defend at an elite stage? Can they play one by means of 5 on each ends of the ball? Do they elevate and empower their teammates? Are they persistently accessible? Jayson Tatum could be the solely participant within the league who the reply is definitively and emphatically sure for every of those questions.

Sufficient discuss from me. Let the numbers communicate for themselves.

Since 1974, there are solely two gamers who’ve ever led all gamers on each groups in factors, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in a single playoff sequence. LeBron did it in 2016 within the prime of his profession at 31 years previous. He and the Cleveland Cavaliers confronted off in opposition to the 73-9 Golden State Warriors within the Finals, in the end profitable the championship. The second participant is none apart from JT, who did it simply this previous 12 months on the age of 26. Tatum led the Celtics previous the Cavaliers within the Jap Convention semifinals, beating them in simply 5 video games.

That wasn’t the one legendary feat Jayson completed in final 12 months’s playoffs, although. He additionally turned simply the sixth participant to steer his group in factors, rebounds, and assists throughout the whole lot of a championship run. The one different gamers to take action are LeBron, Jokic, Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Larry Hen, all Corridor-of-Famers (or future HOF in Jokic’s case) all gamers who outlined their generations, and all gamers who’re thought-about to be among the finest the sport of basketball has ever seen.

JT has already joined this elite firm, and he hasn’t even entered the prime of his profession but. [Insert obligatory “He’s only 19!” joke.] What’s extra is he’s displaying off simply how well-rounded and impactful his sport is. Over the previous few years, many individuals have been utilizing the general success and expertise stage of the Celtics as a option to discredit Jayson. It appears they’ve by no means stopped to consider how he’s the very best participant on the very best group, and remains to be main all of that expertise within the main statistical classes. Sounds extra like an accomplishment than an indictment.

Even this 12 months, Huge Deuce is main the Celtics in factors, rebounds, assists, and steals. Give credit score the place it’s due. Nevertheless, he isn’t the one one stuffing the stat sheet. Jokic is doing the identical for the Denver Nuggets, and previous to his departure from the Dallas Mavericks, Luka was as nicely, although not anymore now that he’s been traded to Los Angeles. That’s the complete record; no different gamers qualify.

We will take Tatum’s sport stage by stage, too.

If you need scoring, he may give you that. He’s the one participant in Boston Celtics historical past to have averaged 30+ factors over the course of a season. He additionally holds the franchise file for many profession playoff three-pointers made (3PM), and is second for complete franchise 3PM, trailing solely Paul Pierce. His scoring feats transcend the Celtics, too, with JT holding the file for many factors in an All-Star Sport, most factors in a Sport 7, probably the most playoff factors scored earlier than the age of 26, and being solely the seventh participant to achieve 13,000 profession factors earlier than turning 27 years previous.

With the flexibility to place up factors like that, you possibly can wager that Tatum sees a number of double groups. He’s taken that as a problem, elevating his playmaking skills and getting his teammates concerned. My former colleague, Jack Simone at Hardwood Houdini, not too long ago made an incredible video breakdown to spotlight this.

JT has steadily been growing his help numbers, taking a step up each single 12 months since coming into the league. In his rookie 12 months, Jayson averaged 1.6 assists per sport alongside (APG) with 1.4 turnovers per sport (TOPG). This 12 months, he’s averaging 5.6 APG with 2.8 TOPG, a 2:1 help ratio in comparison with the just about 1:1 ratio from his rookie 12 months.

Whereas the common might not precisely be eye-popping, we are able to have a look at Jayson’s secondary assists (passes to the participant who recorded the help) and potential assists (passes to a participant who missed the shot) for extra context. Throughout the league, JT ranks eleventh in secondary assists, averaging 1.1 per sport, simply 0.3 behind Devin Booker who leads the league. By way of potential assists, he’s averaging 11.4 per sport. Opposing groups need the ball out of Tatum’s arms as a lot as attainable, however he’s centered on his playmaking to make them pay, elevating his teammates within the course of.

JT can really play any place on the court docket — driving and passing like a guard, scoring like a wing, rebounding and posting up like a giant. What makes him so particular, although, is that it applies to each ends of the ground. In keeping with NBA monitoring information, he spends 40.6% of his time matched up with forwards, 43.6% with guards, and 15.8% with facilities. Right here’s how his defensive stats maintain up in opposition to the league averages by place:

One of many predominant causes JT excels at taking part in in opposition to bigs is his means to discourage entry passes and shot makes an attempt altogether, which doesn’t present up within the general FG%. He mucks up pick-and-rolls, making groups suppose twice about throwing lobs whereas Tatum is defending the curler. In nearly 115 minutes of matchup time, opposing facilities have solely tried 64 photographs on Jayson all season, good for simply 83 factors.

His measurement, power, and athleticism make him an especially versatile defender. Extra importantly, he persistently reveals up on the defensive finish, one thing that may’t be mentioned for each tremendous star.

In the long run, stats by no means inform the entire story, and issues like this are in the end subjective. The superstars of the league maintain that title due to simply how a lot they excel in sure areas of the sport. JT might not be the primary alternative for every facet, however he’s proper close to the highest in all of them, which is strictly why he’s been dubbed “The Anomaly.”

Past that, he carries himself with the utmost professionalism on and off the court docket, and has at all times adjusted his sport for the betterment of his group. Qualities like that make him straightforward to construct a championship roster round, evidenced by the truth that he now has his first ring beneath his belt to go with his group’s in depth playoff success.