The Jayson Tatum-Markelle Fultz Trade Comes to Fruition in the Eastern Conference Semifinals

The theoretical rivalry between Markelle Fultz and Jayson Tatum will be on display in the Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers

Fans were utterly surprised when the Boston Celtics dealt away the prized No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft. They trusted Danny Ainge, but thought Markelle Fultz had the potential to be the centerpiece of the team’s future.

But the Celtics passed on Fultz, as they knew their future star in Jayson Tatum would still be at available at No. 3. The Celtics could draft their cornerstone at No. 3 while also picking up a future first rounder from the Philadelphia 76ers in the deal.

And sure enough, the Sixers took Fultz with the No. 1 overall pick, and the Celtics snagged Tatum with the No. 3 pick. Tatum went on to have a phenomenal rookie season, playing in 80 games as a starter for the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

He averaged 13.9 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 47.5% from the field, 43.4% from three, and 82.6% from the free throw line. He even led the league in three-point percentage for much of the season.

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Fultz, on the other hand, had quite the mysterious season. After many videos surfaced of him shooting early in the season, they revealed that he had a hitch in his shot, and Fultz looked extremely uncomfortable with what was the best aspect of his game prior to the draft.

He essentially had a case of “the yips,” where he could no longer consistently do what he had perfected in the past. Fultz finished the season playing in only 14 games, averaging 7.1 points per game without making a single three-point shot all season for the fourth seed team in the East.

In Tatum’s first-round matchup against the Bucks, he was fantastic. He averaged 15.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game per the seven games in the series. The twenty-year-old Tatum made clutch plays and played strong defense throughout the series. He truly proved that age is just a number.

Meanwhile, Fultz came off the bench in the Sixers’ series against the Heat, playing a total of 23 minutes in the five games of the series. He scored a whopping total of five points all series, all of which were scored off three free throws and one field goal in Game 1. His team still won the series, but Fultz was a non-factor.

So now as both teams head into what should be an ultra-competitive Eastern Conference semifinal matchup, they will have to opportunity to showcase both rookies head-to-head. Fultz has the opportunity to show the Celtics’ front office what they are missing, while Tatum has another chance to show his front office that it made the right decision. But so far, Tatum has proven that he can be a crucial contributor for the Celtics down the line, and Fultz has only been labeled as potential.

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This playoff matchup is just the beginning of the eternal link between these two players. Whether Tatum continues his success, or Fultz breaks out of his shell in the series, both bright, young players are headed for long, successful careers with their respective organizations. Additionally, fans should be excited for many future matchups between both players, as the forever question of “who won the trade?” will reign throughout their careers.