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Jayson Tatum is Gaining Ground on Ben Simmons

By Joshua Bateman

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 20: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball against Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics at the Wells Fargo Center on October 20, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 20: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball against Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics at the Wells Fargo Center on October 20, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Ben Simmons is a Rookie of the Year Favorite, but Jayson Tatum is quickly gaining ground on him

With the way Ben Simmons has started the season, a lot of people are ready to call the rookie of the year race. There is no doubting that Simmons looks like a generational rookie, and no rookie’s impact is really close to his right now. Simmons is controlling everything the Philadelphia 76ers want to do, and is having immense success.

Right now, it is completely fair to say that Jayson Tatum is clearly behind Simmons in the race, but that is not going to last. Tatum may never have the overall impact of Simmons, because of his limited role on the team. That being said, Tatum is not only looking like the best offensive rookie in the league, by a mile, but he has been one of the most efficient offensive players in the entire NBA.

We are starting to see Stevens utilize him a bit more, and expand his game, and those efficiency numbers are not dropping at all. Tatum is putting up numbers that make absolutely no sense at this point, he is doing it even better in clutch time, and he is one of the most important players on the top team in the league.

Simmons may have had a sizeable lead at some point, but Tatum is right behind him right now, and is in a much better position to improve even more throughout the season. Tatum will never stuff the stats sheet the way Simmons does, but when you take into account his defense as well, he can end up with an overall greater impact on his team by the time playoffs come around.

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How high in the standings Simmons can help get the 76ers can make a difference too, because Tatum will always get an edge because he is doing this on the best team in the Conference.

Tatum has been maintaining what should be impossible efficiency this season. Not only does he lead the league in three point percentage, but his 51.3 percent is three percent higher than second best, which is bigger than the difference between second and and 14th. People have been saying Tatum is putting up unsustainable numbers all season long, and yet they just keep going up.

The one blemish for Tatum is actually the free throw shooting, and his 82.8 percent from the line is the only thing holding him back from a 50/50/90 season. Tatum is doing this on just over nine shot attempts per game, and that number should keep going up. In fact, Tatum actually has a higher overall shooting percentage than Simmons, who has attempted just eight three pointers.

The reason why Tatum has a great chance to catch Simmons is because he can increase his role in every capacity, and if he does that with this kind of effectiveness then he could emerge as the favorite. Simmons looks like he could be a transcendent talent with how he has played this season, but there is only so much more he can become throughout the season.

Simmons could already be at the peak of what he is going to be this season, while it feels like Tatum is just scratching the surface. Tatum has been able to do everything Stevens has asked of him, but he will not do more than he asks. Tatum will never completely control the offense the way Simmons does, but it could only be a matter of time before he is continually the primary option.

One issue will always be whether or not Stevens actually increases his role. He could be completely satisfied with what he is getting now, and keep things exactly as are. Or, he could be thinking about the kind of damage Tatum could do with more touches and more shots.

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The best part is that Tatum should always have the trust. He is one of the most important rebounders on the team, and has never been a liability on defense. Tatum will keep getting the minutes, but it is the usage and touches that will determine whether or not he can get a chance at stealing that rookie of the year award away from Simmons.

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