The Boston Celtics have one of the fastest rising young stars in the NBA. Where does he rank among the rest of the league’s ascending elites?
Jayson Tatum is on the fast track to superstardom and really has been since he helped lead the Boston Celtics to within one game of the NBA Finals during his first postseason. This season, he has made the jump to potential superstar to likely superstar.
Via his meteoric February when Kemba Walker was out, Tatum became an All-Star and leader in 2019-20 as the C’s withstood injuries to key players including prized free-agent signee Kemba Walker. Tatum, like he did when Kyrie Irving went down two seasons ago, assumed the offensive burden and attacked defenses head-on as the top scoring option.
The future is certainly bright in Boston, as many media members and former stars have come forward to praise the 22-year-old including former six-time NBA Champion Scottie Pippen:
Scottie Pippen: “If [the Celtics are] to make a run, it has to rely on [Jayson] Tatum’s ability to carry them, offensively, and I feel like he’s totally ready [to be best player on a championship-caliber team].” pic.twitter.com/fqe2fJT7AS
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) July 6, 2020
Tatum could theoretically be ahead of schedule already. The Boston Celtics have already come so close to the mountaintop, and that was on a team missing their two highest-paid players. Now, he is surrounded by a core that plays together and suits his talents.
Assuming he is yet to scratch the surface of how good he can be, how does he rank among his peers who are similarly expected to one day be franchise cornerstones?