Tag Archives: Jayson Tatum

Which NBA teams should Celtics fans keep an eye on?

The Boston Celtics will be must-see TV with superstars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward returning. It will be important for Celtics fans to pay attention to other NBA teams as well because they will determine the placement of Boston’s draft picks at the end of the year.

In order to make mid-first-round draft picks sound exciting, the following is a list of notable Boston Celtics first-round draft selections outside of the lottery: Terry Rozier (No. 16 – 2015), Avery Bradley (No. 19 – 2010), Gerald Green (No. 18 – 2007), Al Jefferson (No. 15 – 2004), Rick Fox (No. 24 – 1991), Reggie Lewis (No. 22 – 1987)

Memphis Grizzlies

Mike Conley (11) of the Memphis Grizzlies flexes during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. (Photo from TheCommercialAppeal.com)

In 2015, the Celtics, Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans orchestrated a three-team trade sending forward Jeff Green from Boston to Memphis in exchange for Austin Rivers, Tayshaun Prince, and a protected future first-round pick. Rivers would eventually be traded to the Clippers for a second-round pick. Prince went to the Pistons in a three-team deal involving Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics still hold the Grizzlies’ draft pick, which will be protected if it falls in between No. 1 and No. 8 in 2019 or No. 1 and No. 6 in 2020, and will be unprotected in 2021.

Last season, Memphis finished 14^th in the Western Conference with a 22-60 record. With the return of Mike Conley from injury, as well as the emergence of former Celtic MarShon Brooks, the Grizzlies may improve. If that is the case, the Celtics may get their hands on a draft pick in the back half of the lottery. Although if the Grizzlies are to struggle, it may be another season or two until the Celtics see any further return on Jeff Green.

Los Angeles Clippers

During the 2016 NBA Draft, the Celtics traded picks 31 (Deyonta Davis) and 35 (Rade Zagorac) to the Memphis Grizzlies for a future 2019 first-round pick from the Clippers. Boston still owns the Clippers pick, which is lottery protected in both 2019 and 2020. If Los Angeles has not conveyed the pick by then, they will instead convey a 2022 second-round selection.

With the Clippers returning to mediocrity, it seems unlikely the Celtics will receive compensation any time soon. Last season, the Clippers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010-11. With the departures of Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan, not one of their remaining players has ever appeared in an All-Star game.

When the Clippers inevitably struggle, it will be detrimental for Boston. Their best-case scenario would be to receive a first-round pick outside of the lottery. Celtics fans should be rooting for Doc Rivers once more, because the more the Clipper lose, the longer the Celtics will have to wait for a return.

Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) dribbles up court during an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Prior to the 2017 NBA Draft, Danny Ainge made a bold, but brilliant trade, moving the No. 1 draft pick (Markelle Fultz) to the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 3 overall pick (Jayson Tatum) and a future first-round pick in 2018 from the Los Angeles Lakers. Boston would only receive the Lakers pick if it was between No. 2 and No. 5, which it was not, however. So, Philadelphia will send Boston the better of their own or the Sacramento Kings 2019 first-round picks.

Celtics fans should not expect to receive the 76ers pick, as they finished third in the Eastern Conference last season and have two of the NBA’s brightest young talents in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Rather, Celtic’s fans should expect to receive the Kings pick, as they are clearly the inferior team, finishing 12^th in the Western Conference last season. It will be important to keep an eye on De’Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings, as they could have a dreadful season, which would drastically assist Boston come draft day.

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Why is Jaylen Brown Being Overlooked?

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Jaylen Brown’s name hasn’t popped up much this summer.

Celtics players, staff, and fans are all preparing for training camp to open soon. As such, the hype surrounding the team continues to accumulate, and rightfully so. With the team fully healthy, the league and its fans are ready for the Celtics to make some noise. All summer long, fans have been raving about the return of Gordon Hayward, or the emergence of Jayson Tatum. Marcus Smart’s name was even thrown into the mix when he signed a new deal. One name that fans haven’t heard at all? That of Jaylen Brown.

However, Brown’s name should be showing up far more than it is. While people tend to look right at Kyrie Irving, Hayward, Tatum or even Al Horford, no one is giving Brown the attention he deserves. When given the choice between Brown and Tatum, most fans say that Tatum is better. Here’s why the third-year player deserves more hype heading into this season.

A Closer Look

Brown’s Impact Last Year

When ranking this year’s projected starting five, number 7 is often mentioned last. However, behind Kyrie, Brown was second on the team in scoring last year, with 14.5 points per game. Granted, Hayward was out, but most nights the team looked to him as the second option. In the playoffs, the spotlight was rightfully on Jayson Tatum as he scored 18.5 playoff points per game. However, Brown was right on his heels, with 18.0 points. He also had more rebounds than Tatum in the postseason. His impact on the team last year is overlooked far too often.

His Ability to Improve

The jump from year 1 to year 2 for Jaylen was absolutely incredible. He improved in nearly every statistical category. His PPG jumped from 6.6 to 14.5. He increased his rebounds per game from 2.8 to 4.9. His assists improved from 0.8 to 1.6 APG. He improved on the defensive end too, averaging 1.0 steals per game last year, up from 0.4. His blocks also took a small leap. It’s practically unheard of for a player to improve in every single one of those categories. To top it all off, his three-point percentage leaped from 34% to 39%. Unreal.

The kicker? Jaylen Brown is 21 years old. He’s not even sniffing his prime yet. Brown has at least three seasons to go before he starts entering the prime of his career. He doesn’t have to come close to the level of improvement from last year. If he’s anywhere in the ballpark, the kid is going to be a huge weapon on both sides of the ball this year.

There’s a reason that Danny Ainge considers and has always considered Jaylen Brown untouchable. When fans are in awe of Kyrie’s handles or a Tatum trey, they often forget about the highlight-reel slams from number 7. Jaylen Brown is an extremely valuable player on this roster and deserves far more recognition than he is receiving. This upcoming season, look out for Brown to have the best season of his young career. And just remember: he’s only getting better.

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You Won’t Believe What NBA Legend Grant Hill Had to Say About Jayson Tatum

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Spoiler Alert! Jayson Tatum is a good basketball player. The expectations for Tatum’s sophomore season, and his career, are soaring. After polishing off one of the greatest individual playoff runs in NBA history for a Rookie, people are talking about BIG things for the young star.

How Big, You Ask?

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame big. Fellow Duke basketball alumni and NBA legend Grant Hill will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame on Friday, and he believes Jayson Tatum will follow suite one day.

“I think he’s on his way,” Hill told MassLive’s Tom Westerholm. “… He’s in a great situation, which is really good. In some ways you could say it’s a blessing and a curse. Because (the Celtics) are so talented, he doesn’t have to do as much, which is great for a young player, and they have a chance to win a championship, and have a lot of runway for the next five, six, eight years. But also it doesn’t really allow us to see the full package. I think we did see that last year when injuries hit that team, and now it was like they needed him to show and prove, and he did. And he was just a rookie. 19 years old. I think time. Time is what he needs, and I can’t wait to watch and see what he ultimately becomes. It’s scary.”

This comes on the heels of comments made by former NBA All-Star turned ESPN Analyst Stephen Jackson. Jackson was speaking about Boston’s expectations for the upcoming season, and casually mentioned that he believes Jayson Tatum will be a top 10 player in the NBA by season’s end. Wow.

So, there you have it. The bottom line is- Tatum has an immense amount of expectations to live up to. These former NBA legends believe he has what it takes to cement his place among the league’s best. If Jayson Tatum proved anything his Rookie season, it’s that he has all of the talent necessary to get the job done.

Are the Boston Celtics Too Deep?

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I’m sure the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings among others would love to be in the position the Boston Celtics are in. The franchise hasn’t missed the playoffs since the 2013-14 Season, yet lottery picks continue to pour in due to Danny Ainge’s brilliancy in the trade market. They boast three perennial All-Star talents in Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford. Oh, and the ‘other’ two guys in the starting lineup aren’t too bad, either. Boston has the potential to send five guys to the All-Star game this season. In more ways than one, this team stacks up relatively well to the likes of the juggernaut Golden State Warriors. They also happen to be younger.

Boston Boasts Arguably the Deepest Bench in the League

SOURCE: AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Depth on this roster is no issue, either. Terry Rozier blew up last season as a key contributor down the stretch and throughout the playoffs. The 24-year-old point guard out of Louisville has been mentioned in the same sentence as Kemba Walker and Dame Lillard, both All-Star talents. Oh, and he isn’t even this team’s sixth man. That role belongs to $52 million-dollar man Marcus Smart. After signing a $13 million per year deal that retains his services in Boston for the next four years, Smart has now become one of the league’s highest paid bench players.

Worth it? Undoubtedly. The bulldog out of Oklahoma State won’t blow anyone away on the stat sheet, but he is the ultimate competitor and a true winner. He does all of the dirty things needed to be done to win, whether it’s ripping down a big rebound over a seven-footer to secure a big possession, or diving on the floor for a loose ball seconds after returning from a major injury.

The bench depth continues to roll on from there. Marcus Morris adds a lethal one-on-one option. ‘All of Australia’ Aron Baynes is a big body that started in 67 games for the C’s last season. Baynes is a starting caliber center that also happens to statistically be one of the best defensive players in the league. German forward Daniel Theis will assuredly compete for some quality minutes this season, perhaps against Rookie first round pick Robert Williams. Semi Ojeleye played some big minutes last season, often times tasked with locking down the opposition’s best player. Anyone remember when Semi bodied up Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Playoffs?

Believe in Brad Stevens

BOSTON, MA – MARCH 22: Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics goes over the next play with Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Indiana Pacers on March 22, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

No matter how you slice it, this team is DEEP and talented. Regardless of the position on the floor, there is a guy on this team that can step in and more than hold their own. That is just how Brad Stevens has designed this team to be. He likes interchangeability and trusts each player on his roster to perform when called upon. He gets the most out of the players he coaches because he believes in allowing them to play within themselves and refuses to limit a guy because of a weakness they may have. The trust he offers each player is returned, and that trust builds confidence. That confidence translates into production.

Now, Brad Stevens has yet another major task ahead of him. How will he find a way to manage arguably the deepest roster the NBA has to offer? Quite honestly, it’s a curious problem to have. Every team out there across any sport or level of play would love to have this ‘problem’.

Good Problem or No Problem?

Stevens, known as a bit of a playful guy with the media, had a humorous but logical response when asked about this ‘good problem’.

“I don’t think it’s any secret to anybody that there’s only 240 minutes in a game,” Stevens said. “If we all struggle with that more than just the human nature of being disappointed if you get taken out — that’s OK, that’s part of it — but if we struggle with that, then we won’t be very good. And if we don’t, we’ll have a chance to be pretty good.”

Of course, this would be an easy problem to solve if there were 240 minutes in a game. But to Stevens, it sounds like there isn’t an issue at all here. He even has the rotations written up ahead of training camp, and at this point is more concerned with ‘how’ they will play versus ‘who’ will play.

“I’m more focused on how we want to play than how we’re going to rotate,” Stevens said. “I mean, if last year’s not the best example, I don’t know what would be. Things can change. Your rotation can change in a heartbeat. So, you can work all summer on it, and you’ve got to adjust in one day. I think the bottom line is we have an idea of who will play together and who best fits together and what lineups we think we’ll try to use, but we’ll see how it all shakes itself out.”

It All Comes Down to Coach Stevens

(11/12/2017- Boston, MA) With 12 wins in a row, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has a lot to smile about during a victory over the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Staff Photo by Matt West

The bottom line here is that as long as the team buys into the Brad Stevens philosophy and trusts that he will steer them in the right direction, this team will be successful. If this group of individuals can find a way to set aside their egos and personal desires for the betterment of the team there is no limit to what they can accomplish. Depth is a good problem to have, so long as the players have faith in their leader. Lucky for Boston, Brad Stevens may just be the finest leader out there.

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 43 Days

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Welcome Back to the Celtics Season Tipoff Countdown!

Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (September 3rd). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (43 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

Danny Ainge recently opened up about the Kyrie Irving trade from last summer, and had this to say;

“I feel like there’s opportunities that you have to look at and explore, and Kyrie was one of those opportunities that, unanimously, internally it was something that we all felt like we should do,” Ainge said told ESPN. “Everybody, unanimously, wanted to do it.”

There is no doubt that Boston has zero regrets regarding this move. Both Isaiah Thomas and Jay Crowder finished the season on different teams, and the Brooklyn pick landed at No 8.

That being said- watch out for Collin Sexton (Cleveland’s selection with the pick). He averaged 19.6 points in the Summer League and is highly regarded by his fellow Rookies. If he pans out then Cleveland will be in decent shape post fallout of the Irving trade.

On This Date

Not a whole lot going on for this date in Celtics history, but on September 3, 2008 Oklahoma City team officials unveiled their new team name and logo. On this date in history the Seattle Supersonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Stats (2017-18)

Image Courtesy of Sports Illustrated

Jayson Tatum shot 43% from 3 for the season, good for 8th in the NBA. Not bad for a guy with shooting range question marks entering the league!

Boston collectively shot 43% from the field in the 2017-18 postseason. The team played in 19 total games, finishing 1 win shy of reaching the NBA Finals.

Fun Facts

Image Courtesy of Cavs Nation

NBA.com ranked Kendrick Perkins as the 43rd best Celtic of all-time! He had a solid 8 year career in a Celtic uniform, from 2003-2011. Perkins was an integral piece of the 08’ Championship run, holding down the paint as one of the better centers in the league. He averaged 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in his tenure with Boston.

On March 18th, 2013 Jeff Green put up a whopping 43 points in a 105-103 loss to the Miami Heat.

That concludes today’s Countdown to Celtics Tipoff. Check back here tomorrow as the clock continues to tick towards the 2018-19 season!

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 44 Days

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Welcome Back to the Celtics Season Tipoff Countdown!

Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (September 2nd). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (44 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

Terry Rozier made headlines yesterday when his name was mentioned in Phoenix Suns trade rumors. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports’ 98.7 Radio Show, Rozier was targeted by the Suns to fill their starting point guard role. The Suns struck out and, at least for the time being, Scary Terry remains in Celtic green.

2K Sports released their NBA 2k19 player ratings, and boy were they fans of the Celtics this year! Here is a quick rundown of the ratings for the starting 5:
• Kyrie Irving- 93
• Gordon Hayward- 88
• Jayson Tatum- 87
• Al Horford- 86
• Jaylen Brown- 84

The most notable rating on this list has got to be Tatum’s. The 20-year-old just polished off a phenomenal rookie campaign, but many feel that an 87 overall rating is still a tad high for such a young prospect. Then again, Tatum could blow the doors off of these expectations and elevate his game to a whole new level.

On This Date

September 1st, 2017: Kyrie Irving gives his first Celtics jersey to his father after being officially announced a Boston Celtic. Check out the video below!

"Thank you Dad" – @KyrieIrving as he hands his Dad his first Celtics jersey https://t.co/H43fQiXoQS

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 1, 2017

Stats (2017-18)

Image Courtesy of The Athletic

Marcus Smart finished the 2017-18 regular season with a 44% AFG. Affective Field Goal Percentage basketball accounts for the added point the three-point basket provides. Though teams generally shoot a lower percentage in a traditional sense, this provides a more accurate description of the number of points a team will score by upwardly adjusting the FG% on those baskets to account for the added point, and downwardly adjusting the 3-point basket to two points… more or less. It provides 1 number that describes all baskets.

Fun Facts

Jersey number 44 is a particularly famous one in Celtics history. It has been worn by 11 different players in the history of the franchise. Danny Ainge, Pete Maravich, Rick Fox, and Brian Scalabrine are some of the more notable players on the list. The most recent player to don 44 for the C’s was Tyler Zeller in the 2016-17 season.

That concludes today’s Countdown to Celtics Tipoff. Make sure to be back here tomorrow as the clock continues to tick towards the 2018-19 season!

The Celtics and Warriors go toe to toe in 2k19’s Player Ratings

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The two juggernauts could go to battle in the finals this season. Let’s see how 2k19 rated these star studded rosters.

Both Golden State and Boston enter this season with sizeable expectations. How will these rosters look in video game form you ask? No need to fear, as 2k19 has officially released team rosters for all 30 teams. While the team overall ratings have not yet been released, we can speculate those rankings fairly easily. But i’ll leave that open for interpretation.

Ratings for Golden State

Kevin Durant sf, 97
Stephen Curry pg, 95
Demarcus Cousins c, 90
Klay Thompson sg, 89
Draymond Green pf, 87
Andre Iguodala sf, 77
Jordan Bell pf, 76
Jonas Jerebko pf,76
Shaun Livingston pg, 75
Quinn Cook pg, 75
Nick Young sf, 74
Patrick McCaw sg, 73
Kevon Looney pf,71
Damian Jones c,70
Chris Boucher pf,69

Golden State’s Takeaways

Demarcus Cousins receiving a 90 overall after missing almost two-thirds of last season comes as a bit of a surprise. What’s an even bigger surprise is the fact that he received a higher ranking than Klay Thompson. A pleasant surprise is the rankings of Jordan Bell and Kevin Durant. While many thought of Durant as a 99 overall talent, he still ranks in the top 5 again in this edition. Bell is a unique player that will develop over time. Fans could expect his overall to only rise from here.

Celtics lineup ratings

Kyrie Irving pg, 93
Gordon Hayward sf,88
Jayson Tatum sf, 87
Al Horford c, 88
Jaylen Brown sf, 84
Marcus Smart pg, 80
Marcus Morris pf, 78
Terry Rozier pg, 78
Aron Baynes c,75
Shane Larkin pg, 70
Daniel Theis c, 70
Guerschon Yabusele pf, 69
Semi Ojeleye pf, 68
Kadeem Allen sg, 68
Jabari Bird sg, 67
Robert Williams c, not yet rated

Boston’s Takeaways

Although Boston’s roster is lower ranked that Golden State, this team still looks impressive. One point to mention- Shane Larkin is on the 2k roster, but has signed overseas during the offseason. While Al and Theis look a little underrated, the rating will adjust throughout the season thanks to the various amounts of game updates. While it is undetermined as of now, the rating for Robert Williams will be interesting to watch. Kyrie comes in as the 2nd highest rated point guard in the league behind Curry, and Jayson Tatum got a very favorable 87 overall after just one season. Brown rounds out the top 5 on the C’s frontline with an 84, but that number could easily rise by mid-season.

Conclusion

While we cannot debate a potential match-up off of a video game ratings list, we can have fun playing it. This is one of the few variables that you can control in the palm of your hands. So enjoy 2k19 when it comes out, but do remember it is a video game. Let’s keep Jacksonville in our hearts as we play these competitive games in the future.

All ratings and info were received from 2kratings.com

ESPN’s BPI Predicts Celtics-Warriors 2019 NBA Finals Matchup

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News flash everyone! The Boston Celtics are going to be a great team this year. As long as Gordon Hayward doesn’t attempt another alley-oop dunk or Kyrie Irving doesn’t have a zen moment and realize he doesn’t want to play basketball, this team is on a direct flight to the NBA Finals.

Boston Lands in a Favorable Spot in the Finals Odds Prediction

ESPN’s BPI, which is a machine generated predictive metric, gives the Celtics the best odds to win the Eastern Conference and plots them at 2nd to win the whole enchilada. Shockingly (kidding), the Golden State Warriors are once again the overwhelming favorites to win it all.

Here’s ESPN’s rationale behind these odds;

“Two reasons. First, the aforementioned departure of James, which helps free up the East and removes a major obstacle in Boston’s path,” ESPN’s Neil Johnson and Seth Walder wrote. “Second, rising expectations for the Celtics, given how well the team played in the face of major injuries and the breakout of Jayson Tatum. Boston’s defensive BPI rating (3.7) has more than doubled from this time last year (1.5).”

Think Twice About Betting Against this Celtics Squad

Image courtesy of the Boston Globe

At this point, who would realistically bet against this squad? This is a team that was a single win away from an NBA Finals birth a few short months ago despite season ending injuries to arguably their top 2 players. The man who beat them last year just enrolled his son into a school in LA and will be playing ball in the Western Conference. The East leading Toronto Raptors fired the Coach of the Year and shipped out one half of the deadly duo that made them relevant the past few seasons. To replace DeRozan, they got a talented yet disgruntled player who quit on his team last year. Oh, and he doesn’t even want anything to do with Toronto.

The 76ers are good, and will be a threat to the Celtics’ dynasty run moving forward, but not quite yet. Boston dismantled Philly in 5 games last year while Terry Rozier consistently made a mockery of their defense. I know it is tempting to ‘Trust the Process’, but I would be cautious about dropping the confetti too early on the 76ers’ championship aspirations.

Boston boasts the best finisher and ball handler the league has to offer in Kyrie Irving. They employ a duo of some of the best two-way players in the league in Gordon Hayward and Al Horford. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have superstar level ceilings and just finished embarrassing their opposition throughout the playoffs. The Celtics have debatably the top bench in all of basketball, making them the deepest team in the league. Brad Stevens is already one of the NBA’s best coaches and is only getting started.

A New Era

All of the stars are beginning to align on a new era for the Celtics. An era without a King. The Eastern Conference is completely up for grabs now more than it has been in nearly 10 years. It’s time for a new participant in the championship series, and, at least according to ESPN, that team is the Boston Celtics.

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 52 Days

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Welcome back to the Celtics season tipoff countdown!

Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (August 25th). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (52 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

Jayson Tatum recently appeared on The Bill Simmons Podcast and touched on a wide variety of topics. He talked about his hatred of the Celtics as a kid growing up in St. Louis. Kobe Bryant was his idol growing up, and as a Laker, he had to hate Boston. He then went on to discuss his summer workouts with Kobe and the episode of Kobe’s show, Detail, about Tatum (He says he watched it 70 times). Tatum says he was able to pick the legend’s brain before they got into the workouts. He said “I tried to get into his mind and see how he went about things.” It certainly sounds like Kobe’s had a big influence on the budding star.

On This Date

August 25, 1965: Bill Russell demanded and received a new contract worth $100,001. The contract came one day after rival Wilt Chamberlain became the first player ever to earn a salary of $100,000 dollars. The two legendary centers had become fierce competitors over the years of playing against each other, and the contracts took it to another level. Even the great Bill Russell can be petty sometimes!

Via NBA

Stats (2017-18)

Aron Baynes attempted 5.2 shots per game from two-point range. He converted on 2.6 of them per contest.

The team as a whole had a 52% Effective Field Goal Percentage. This stat weighs three pointers as worth more than two pointers.

Fun Facts

Seven players have worn number 52 for the Celtics. The most recent to don the jersey was Chris Babb, who wore it in 2014 for the 14 games in which he played.

That concludes today’s Countdown to Celtics Tipoff. Make sure to check back here tomorrow as the clock continues to tick towards the 2018-19 season!

Jayson Tatum vs LeBron James By the Numbers

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I know how crazy this will sound. Who in their right mind would even consider comparing an unproven 20-year-old to arguably the greatest basketball player to ever live? Before you all get out the torches and sharpen your pitchforks let me explain.

This piece focuses on how much potential Jayson Tatum has. With some recent articles floating around social media making the case that Taco Jay is ‘overhyped’ I felt the need to come to his defense. There is no defense stronger than proving to the world that the 20-year-old talent put up comparative advanced metrics to the King in their respective rookie seasons. Let’s dive into the numbers.

Jayson Tatum Advanced Metrics for 2017-18 Season

LeBron James Advanced Metrics for 2003-04 Season

Player Efficiency Rating and Usage Percentage

The first metric that strikes my eye is each player’s PER (Player Efficiency Rating) vs their USG% (Usage Percent).

To clarify- the PER sums up all of a player’s positive accomplishments, subtracts the negative accomplishments, and returns the per-minute rating of a player’s performance. The USG% figure refers to the percentage of team plays used by a player while on the court.

Jayson Tatum finished his rookie campaign with a respectable 15.3 PER against a modest 19.5 USG% in 2438 minutes played.

LeBron James finished his rookie campaign with a slightly higher 18.3 PER against a MUCH higher 28.2 USG% in 3122 minutes played.

Simply put, Jayson Tatum was only slightly less efficient than James while receiving significantly fewer touches and play calls. This comes as a testament to the abnormally high efficiency Tatum exhibited throughout his first season in the league.

Entering as a ball stopping ISO heavy talent, Tatum’s biggest question marks were his outside shooting and efficiency in an NBA offense predicated around ball movement. Tatum responded by shooting 43.3% from 3 (good for 8th in the league) and quickly proved he can do what is needed for the betterment of the team. His modest 19.5 USG% reveals that he was not the ‘ball stopper’ that he was predicted to be. In fact, it is Tatum’s malleability and selflessness that has quickly become his biggest strength heading into his 2nd season. His ability to get off whatever shot he desires at will coupled with the basketball IQ to know when to give up the rock bodes well for his future outlook.

True Shooting Percentage, Total Rebound Percentage and Win Shares

(Boston MA, 05/03/18) Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum celebrates after dunking during the second half of Game 2 of the Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers at the TD Garden on Thursday, May 03, 2018. Staff photo by Matt Stone

Jayson Tatum actually tops LeBron James in multiple advanced metrics in their respective rookie seasons. First, let me clarify what each of these statistics means.

True Shooting Percentage (TS%) measures a player’s efficiency at shooting the ball. It considers total points scored over all field goals made including free throws, 2-point field goals and 3 pointers plus free throws attempted. It is the most accurate measurement of a player’s overall shooting efficiency.

Total Rebound Percentage (TR%) is a statistic used to gauge how effective a player is at gaining possession of the ball after a missed field goal or free throw. Essentially the stat measures the percentage of missed shots the individual rebounds while on the court.

Win Shares (WS) is a bit of a complex metric but in a nutshell it estimates the number of wins a player produces for his team. It is essentially a measurement of how important the player is to his team’s success.

How Does Tatum Compare?

Now onto the fun stuff. Jayson Tatum’s impressive rookie PER shines through when looking at his TS%, which sits at 58.6%. Comparatively, LeBron finished his rookie campaign with a 48.8% TS%, nearly 10% lower than that of Tatum’s. This is directly correlated to Tatum’s shot taking decisions. He very rarely takes tough shots and doesn’t force anything. With everything he does he always appears to be comfortable and confident, as shown by his 49% shooting from 2 and 43% from 3 for the season.

Jayson Tatum finished his rookie campaign averaging 5 rebounds per contest. He accomplished a 9% TR%, 1.4% higher than James’. LeBron has gone on to average an impressive 7.4 rebounds per game for his career. Taking Tatum’s rookie season under consideration, there is no reason the 6’8” forward can’t accomplish the same if not better than the King in this department.

The final measurement that caught my eye in this comparison was Win Shares plus Win Shares per 48 minutes. LeBron James played 684 minutes more than Jayson Tatum in his rookie season. Yet it was Tatum who held a higher WS metric. Essentially, Jayson Tatum individually produced 2 more wins for the Celtics than LeBron for the Cavs in significantly less playing time. Taking it a step further, if that measurement is rounded out to 48 minutes (the length of a full game) Tatum still outshines James with .139 WS to .078, respectively. What does this mean? According to this metric one can make a legitimate argument that Jayson Tatum was more important to the Celtics his rookie year than LeBron James was to the Cavaliers.

Is Jayson Tatum ‘Overhyped’?

Jayson Tatum finished 3rd in the Rookie of the Year race and landed on the NBA All Rookie 1st Team. He was thrusted into the spotlight a mere 5 minutes into his first NBA game against (ironically) LeBron James. He averaged 13.9 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest as a 19-year-old. The team needed him to step up in the playoffs due to devastating injuries to valuable teammates. He responded by leading the entire roster in scoring through 19 playoff games. His 18.5 points per game scoring average got him within 1 point of tying basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points scored by a rookie in the playoffs in NBA history.

Some believe that Tatum will end up being the best rookie to come out of his draft class. Doubters will shake their heads and say the guy has already peaked. That he won’t get much better than he is now.

What do I believe?

I believe that the sky is the limit for Jayson Tatum. He has every tool in his arsenal necessary to become one of the NBA’s elite. I would say he is arguably the most gifted talent that the Boston Celtics have drafted since Larry Bird (sorry Paul). The situation could not be more perfect for Tatum. The system around him will provide every opportunity to maximize his talents and realize his full potential. Now, he’s just got to go out and prove to the world that he can do it.