Boston Celtics: Playoff run puts Jayson Tatum on top of rookie class
Jayson Tatum finishes the season at the top of the rookie class
The Boston Celtics just finished one of the most amazing runs you will see in the playoffs, and the most spectacular part was their 20 year old rookie Jayson Tatum. The Celtics had many different players step up during their run, but what Tatum did as a rookie was the most impressive.
In fact, what Tatum did a a rookie in the playoffs is the most impressive thing any rookie has done this season. The rookie of the year race feels out of consideration. When you look at the regular season both Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell separated themselves.
They carried their teams in a way that Tatum did not even have the opportunity to do. Tatum shattered expectations with trust and efficiency, but his role was always gradual, and he did not have as much responsibility as Simmons or Mitchell.
That being said, just because Tatum did not have as big of a role, that does not mean he is a worse player. Now that all three of them are out of the playoffs, we have a lot more to gauge with them. The sample size is hard to trust, but Tatum did things in the playoffs that neither Simmons or Mitchell were capable of doing.
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With Simmons, the contrast from playoffs to regular season was staggering. He was fine in the first round, but the moment he faced off against a top defense, be crumbled. The Celtics exploited his inability to shoot as much as possible, and he was a shell of his regular season self in that series.
This is not to say that Simmons will never be able to perform in the playoffs. What it does mean is that Simmons has a lot of work to do before he is going to be able to lead a team on a strong playoff run.
It is incredibly difficult to run an offense when the defense is able to fall off a point guard who cannot shoot, cluttering all the passing lanes and limiting open shots for others. Simmons has generational potential, but there is no way he is ready to carry the kind of load Tatum did, and bring it on the absolute biggest stage.
Simmons was not able to step up his game against even the Celtics, so thinking he could be the number one option in a seven game series against LeBron James is foolish at this point.
Mitchell, who had a stellar postseason, really ran into a more difficult team. Mitchell carried a tremendous load in the playoffs, and brought them more success than expected. At this point, you cannot say Mitchell would not have been able to do what Tatum did given the opportunity.
The problem is that you also cannot say he definitively would have. Tatum made it clear that he is not scared of any player and he is not scared of any stage. Tatum was able to prove that he is ready to carry a team on the biggest stage.
The unfortunate reality for Mitchell is that he did not have the opportunity to do that. And, until Mitchell gets that opportunity, you cannot expect it from him, because so few players in the history of the NBA have been capable of doing what Tatum did. Keep in mind, Tatum fell one point shy of hitting the record for points scored by a rookie in the playoffs.
Tatum made it clear that he will always bring consistent scoring with his streak of 20 point games. He also proved that he has the potential to be an elite defender, while completely expanding what he can do as a creator.
Then, when he decided to throw it down on James in a game seven where he was the only player on his team to really step up, you saw yet another side of Tatum. You can play around a nit pick different numbers to favor any of these three players, but Tatum accomplished something on another level in the playoffs, that go beyond any kind of scoring or triple doubles.
At this point, it is impossible to know which of these three rookies will end up with the best career. Right now, they all look like they should transform their franchise. That being said, all we can do is work with what they have given us.
Next: Looking into Jaylen Brown's role
After being just a few shots shy of making the NBA Finals as a number one option on an injury riddled and young team, Tatum has separated himself as the best rookie of his class, at least for now.