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 over the past ten years, even for many who don’t observe the league. Regardless of nonetheless being thought-about a number of the finest gamers within the league, their careers appear to be winding down and the top virtually 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 effectively, however not on the top-of-the-class ranges we as soon as knew them for. Celtics followers like myself are actually dreading it, however Al Horford, at the moment the fourth oldest lively participant at 38 years outdated, may solely have a pair extra years within the tank himself.

The torch might be handed quickly sufficient, and there’s no query about whose arms it’ll find yourself in. The brand new era of NBA basketball might 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 crew. Every of them has a number of elite abilities that may lead a crew to the promised land. If I needed to decide considered one of these gamers to start out a franchise with, the selection actually wouldn’t be simple. For me, the choice would come all the way down to selecting the man who’s best to construct round.

Proper now, that man is Jayson Tatum.

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

The query isn’t about who’s at the moment one of the best, although. That is about figuring out which participant gives you one of the best probability to construct a championship caliber crew. Who makes it simpler so that you can assemble the remainder of your roster to ensure success? Who can maintain that window open for the longest?

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

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

Now, it’s possible you’ll be questioning what my standards is for figuring out who “the best to construct round” is. To me, it’s fairly easy; it comes all the way down to the participant who’s probably the most versatile. Can they rating at an elite degree? Can they defend at an elite degree? Can they play one by means of 5 on each ends of the ball? Do they elevate and empower their teammates? Are they persistently obtainable? Jayson Tatum would 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 converse 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 outdated. He and the Cleveland Cavaliers confronted off towards the 73-9 Golden State Warriors within the Finals, finally profitable the championship. The second participant is none apart from JT, who did it simply this previous yr on the age of 26. Tatum led the Celtics previous the Cavaliers within the Japanese Convention semifinals, beating them in simply 5 video games.

That wasn’t the one legendary feat Jayson completed in final yr’s playoffs, although. He additionally turned simply the sixth participant to guide his crew 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 Chicken, 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 a number of 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 exhibiting 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 degree of the Celtics as a approach to discredit Jayson. It appears they’ve by no means stopped to consider how he’s one of the best participant on one of the best crew, and remains to be main all of that expertise within the main statistical classes. Sounds extra like an accomplishment than an indictment.

Even this yr, Large Deuce is main the Celtics in factors, rebounds, assists, and steals. Give credit score the place it’s due. Nonetheless, 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 effectively, 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 degree by degree, 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 document for many profession playoff three-pointers made (3PM), and is second for whole franchise 3PM, trailing solely Paul Pierce. His scoring feats transcend the Celtics, too, with JT holding the document for many factors in an All-Star Recreation, most factors in a Recreation 7, probably the most playoff factors scored earlier than the age of 26, and being solely the seventh participant to succeed in 13,000 profession factors earlier than turning 27 years outdated.

With the power to place up factors like that, you possibly can guess that Tatum sees lots 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 important video breakdown to focus on this.

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

Whereas the typical 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 targeted 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 response to NBA monitoring knowledge, 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 towards the league averages by place:

One of many important causes JT excels at taking part in towards 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 assume twice about throwing lobs whereas Tatum is defending the curler. In virtually 115 minutes of matchup time, opposing facilities have solely tried 64 pictures 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.

Ultimately, stats by no means inform the entire story, and issues like this are finally subjective. The superstars of the league maintain that title due to simply how a lot they excel in sure areas of the sport. JT is probably not the primary selection for every side, 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 crew. Qualities like that make him simple to construct a championship roster round, evidenced by the truth that he now has his first ring below his belt to go with his crew’s intensive playoff success.