So far, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has received the highest ranking from ESPN among his Celtics teammates, as ESPN has listed the third-year pro as the 35th-best player in the NBA ahead of the 2019-20 season.
Celtics guard Marcus Smart was ranked at #87, forward Gordon Hayward was ranked at #65 and swingman Jaylen Brown was ranked at #51. Presumably, Celtics point guard Kemba Walker will rank within the top-30 NBA players.
Tatum’s ranking, like his teammates, dropped from the previous season; last season, Tatum was ranked (perhaps prematurely) as the 25th-best player in the league.
Here’s what ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan has to say about Tatum:
The Celtics need more from Tatum, who had an electric rookie season in 2017-18, culminating with a dunk over his childhood idol, LeBron James, in the Eastern Conference finals. Tatum did not build on that success, appearing, at times, curiously passive in 2018-19 and exhibiting occasional defensive indifference.
As MacMullan alludes to, Tatum’s play style last season vacillated between aggressive and passive to a fault, with the young forward trying to continue to build his fast-rising star power while trying to strike a balance with the rest of the team. Not only had star guard Kyrie Irving returned to the lineup and his role as the number one option, Tatum also had to sacrifice touches and shot attempts in order for veteran playmaker Gordon Hayward to get his opportunities.
After averaging a relatively eye-popping 18.5 points per game as a rookie in the 2018 NBA Playoffs, setting the bar for the St. Louis native, Tatum averaged 15.7 points per game last season. While the dip in his scoring average could have been predicted, Tatum’s inability to be as efficient from the floor as he was in the previous wasn’t expected.
Neither was his, at times, lackadaisical defense.
Next season may be more of the same for Tatum in terms of opportunity to make an offensive impact. In fact, his scoring average could remain stagnant or take a dip, as the Celtics have more scorers on their team than last season.
However, should he show his ability to be well-rounded, make sound decisions with the ball in his hands and continue to commit to the defensive end, Tatum’s stock will rise regardless of the amount of points he puts up.
