With the primary general decide, give me Jayson Tatum

The NBA is coming into a brand new technology. 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 of a number of the finest gamers within the league, their careers appear to be winding down and the tip virtually in sight.

Guys like Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden, who’ve all been thought of 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 actually dreading it, however Al Horford, at present the fourth oldest energetic participant at 38 years previous, would possibly 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 should find yourself in. The brand new technology 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 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 straightforward. For me, the choice would come right down to selecting the man who’s best to construct round.

Proper now, that man is Jayson Tatum.

Don’t get me improper. As a lot of a homer as I could also be, I received’t even entertain recommendations that there’s at present a greater basketball participant on the planet than Nikola Jokic. In truth, I wouldn’t even say that Tatum is the second-best participant on the planet, with Giannis being forward of him as nicely. Personally, I at present 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 at present the very best, although. That is about figuring out which participant gives you the very best likelihood 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 this point, solely three of them have confirmed their potential 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 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 offer you one wild guess who that participant is.

Now, it’s possible you’ll 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 essentially the most versatile. Can they rating at an elite degree? Can they defend at an elite degree? Can they play one via 5 on each ends of the ball? Do they elevate and empower their teammates? Are they persistently obtainable? Jayson Tatum stands out as the solely participant within the league who the reply is definitively and emphatically sure for every of those questions.

Sufficient speak 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 previous. He and the Cleveland Cavaliers confronted off in opposition to the 73-9 Golden State Warriors within the Finals, in the end successful 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 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 Chook, all Corridor-of-Famers (or future HOF in Jokic’s case) all gamers who outlined their generations, and all gamers who’re thought of 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 displaying off simply how well-rounded and impactful his recreation 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 the very best participant on the very best crew, and continues to be main all of that expertise within the main statistical classes. Sounds extra like an accomplishment than an indictment.

Even this 12 months, Massive 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 nicely, although not anymore now that he’s been traded to Los Angeles. That’s the complete listing; no different gamers qualify.

We are able to take Tatum’s recreation degree by degree, too.

If you need scoring, he can provide 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 whole 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 Recreation, most factors in a Recreation 7, essentially 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 guess that Tatum sees a number of double groups. He’s taken that as a problem, elevating his playmaking talents and getting his teammates concerned. My former colleague, Jack Simone at Hardwood Houdini, lately made a terrific video breakdown to spotlight this.

JT has steadily been rising 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 recreation alongside (APG) with 1.4 turnovers per recreation (TOPG). This 12 months, 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 12 months.

Whereas the common could not precisely be eye-popping, we will 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 recreation, simply 0.3 behind Devin Booker who leads the league. When it comes to potential assists, he’s averaging 11.4 per recreation. Opposing groups need the ball out of Tatum’s arms as a lot as potential, however he’s centered on his playmaking to make them pay, elevating his teammates within the course of.

JT can actually play any place on the courtroom — driving and passing like a guard, scoring like a wing, rebounding and posting up like an enormous. What makes him so particular, although, is that it applies to each ends of the ground. In accordance with 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 in opposition to the league averages by place:

One of many principal causes JT excels at taking part in in opposition to bigs is his potential 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 virtually 115 minutes of matchup time, opposing facilities have solely tried 64 photographs on Jayson all season, good for simply 83 factors.

His dimension, energy, and athleticism make him a particularly versatile defender. Extra importantly, he persistently exhibits up on the defensive finish, one thing that may’t be stated for each tremendous star.

Ultimately, 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 will not be the primary alternative for every facet, however he’s proper close to the highest in all of them, which is precisely why he’s been dubbed “The Anomaly.”

Past that, he carries himself with the utmost professionalism on and off the courtroom, and has at all times adjusted his recreation for the betterment of his crew. 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 crew’s in depth playoff success.