All-NBA snubs: Jayson Tatum
The Celtics weren’t exactly a title contender this season. Sure, the Boston fans told you they were. I’m sure they said something like, “Dude… just wait till we get smart back. The Kid is a lockdown defenda“. But, that just wasn’t the case. Even though plenty of Bostonians prayed and bet their kid’s college money on the Celtics this season, these Celtics didn’t have a big man that they could count on.
They had a slew of injuries to core guys, including Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown. Even Tatum had to adhere to the league’s health and safety protocols at the start of this season.
Here’s the case. Tatum’s numbers are comparable to a few guys on the All-NBA Third team as far as statistics. He could easily replace Kyrie as their points per game are similar with Kyrie just edging Tatum in that category at 26.7 points per game vs. Tatum’s 26.4 points per game.
Tatum grabs seven rebounds and tosses four assists on the year while Irving averages six assists and five rebounds a game. Similar stats, Tatum edges Kyrie out on games played and plays with a far less talented team than Irving.
The lack of talent on the Celtics cannot be stressed enough. On paper, they should be excellent. And to be fair, they made the playoffs, despite all their injuries and shortcomings. The Celtics this season fell apart when Tatum or Brown wasn’t on the floor. It didn’t get better when they lost Jaylen Brown towards the end of the regular season either due to another injury.
When Tatum was out of the game the Celtics relied on swing guys like Semi Ojeleye and rookie Aaron Nesmith. There were times when Payton Pritchard had to have an impact or they would lose. I’m sorry but if those are the type of guys that you have to rely on to be your supporting cast, and play crunch time minutes, you’re in big trouble.
I think that is a testament to Tatum that he had the season he had with his style of play of tough shots, shooting off the dribble, and “Kobe Bryant” like turn-around jump shots. Give me Tatum at one of the guard spots on the third team, or forward if he can classify as well. He deserves it.