With the arrival of Salty September, when NBA stars get on social media to gripe about their new NBA 2K ratings, there are always several cases to be made for where the folks behind the popular NBA simulation game could have done a better job rating particular players.
And every once in a while, they make a somewhat egregious mistake that gets the league’s media sphere aflutter with criticism, such as this season’s decision to rank Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry a 99 for his 3-pointer. But this September, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey also has a Boston Celtics-specific gripe:
Star forward Jayson Tatum not being included among the game’s elite wings.
Celtics Lab 140: Does the NBA have enough talent to expand, and how might it affect the Boston Celtics if they did? https://t.co/M3fxQ9VBPC
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 9, 2022
“If we consider Luka Doncic a point guard (and we should), 93-rated Jayson Tatum has a strong argument to be considered the best wing in the NBA,” suggests Bailey.
“And, yes, that would put him over legends like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and LeBron James, all of whom are at 96, past their primes, and playing with significant injury histories.”
Ex-Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker reportedly having trouble finding a team for a buyout https://t.co/4INL6ReGyZ
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 9, 2022
“Last season, the 24-year-old Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 3.0 3,” opines the B/R analyst. “And the basic numbers don’t do his impact or defensive ability justice.”
“With his size and athleticism, Tatum can guard three to four positions effectively.”
Carmelo Anthony’s top-rated landing spot? The Boston Celtics, per one analysis https://t.co/sgWtYb6viM
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 9, 2022
“He led the league in defensive win shares, a metric typically dominated by big men,” continues Bailey. “His efforts on that end had a very real effect on his team, too.”
“The Boston Celtics were plus-12.1 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor and minus-4.4 when he was off (and they allowed 6.2 fewer points per 100 possessions when he played). He hasn’t scored as efficiently as the aforementioned veterans at their peaks, but he figures to be the best defender of the bunch in 2022-23 (with the possible exception of Kawhi).”
“And he’s the only one who’s still developing,” closes the author.
One, in fact, they know quite well already. https://t.co/hrlmyJMJcZ
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 9, 2022
We do think JT’s overall rating should be closer to some of the players mentioned above, especially after what he did to Durant in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
But we’ll leave Tatum to fight his own battles on the front — and hopefully on the court to put them to shame with deeds over words in the 2022-23 season, since that’s where the rubber meets the road in all of this anyway.
Nike is expected to release a Celtics-inspired pair of Air Jordan 1s in summer 2023. https://t.co/1joJfI5LDr
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 9, 2022
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
