Boston Celtics All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum has been steadily rising in the estimation of NBA analysts in relation to his peers in the league almost from the moment he stepped on the court in 2017. But the St. Louis native has seen his ascent through the ranks of NBA superstardom accelerate in recent months. Assessments typically have him now cracking the top 10 players in the NBA.
Such was the case in a recent assessment by NBC Sports Washington’s Mike DiPrisco, which put the former Duke star at No. 6 overall in the league.
“Tatum took a major step forward in 2022, leading the Celtics past Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jimmy Butler to get the Celtics into the finals for the first time in 12 years,” writes the NBC analyst.
“As he sits on the outside of the top five looking in, Tatum will need to get back to the finals and perhaps win a championship to climb to the top of this list,” adds DiPrisco.
The Duke product avoided getting an MRI for some time out of fear he might be told he couldn’t play. https://t.co/it7boMw3aH
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 22, 2022
Just ahead of the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and just behind fellow Drew Hanlen client and Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, such lofty heights are easily the high point of his still-young career.
That’s likely a fair assessment. Tatum needs to truly enter the 2023 MVP conversation for a real shot at climbing higher. And with the Boston star not yet 25, that is not all that wild of a leap.
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