It has been a jolly few months for Jayson Tatum. After a cruising 64-win regular season, the Boston Celtics won their first NBA title in 16 years.
Tatum, arguably the best player on the team, was a big part of the success. Soon after, he signed a five-year, $314 million extension, surpassing teammate Jaylen Brown as the largest contract in NBA history.
A spot on Team USA, who look set to snag Gold at the Olympics, and the success keeps flowing in. However, the debates about his place in the present-day NBA keep raging.
Thanks to an average showing throughout the playoffs and second-star Brown snatching up both Eastern Conference and Finals MVP, there is enough fuel to the fire. However, Tatum himself doesn’t think so.
Jayson Tatum confident about “elite” status
During a presser with Team USA, questions about the Celtics season and Tatum’s outlook on his place in the league were paramount.
After claiming that he was “the best player in the world” to Malika Andrews before last season, the title had given some momentum to his proclamations. And Tatum was more than ready to take that jump.
“A hundred percent. Just being the topic of discussion of so many debates or whatever it is…’Can he lead a team? Is he a top-five player?’ There’s still a lot of things I guess they can debate,” Tatum said. “But now I’ve done something that they can’t debate: I’ve won a championship. Having that under my belt, like obviously it’s still conversations to be had or whatever people want to say, but they always got to refer to me as an NBA champion.”
The debates might rage on, but Tatum is among the players who can say they have won an NBA championship. As a player who lived in the Conference and NBA Finals, making 5 in seven years in the league, breaking through was becoming more and more of a question.
However, now that those questions have been put to rest, a new batch opens up. Just how far up the ranks can Tatum rise?
A rough ranking of the best players in the NBA currently
For this ranking, we’re grouping current NBA players into tiers as the margin for error is slim to none.
Tier 1: Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo
The three international aces. These three have put themselves into a different echelon, especially after last season. The two have been near the top of the league for nearly half a decade. Whether it comes to individual or team success, they contribute at the highest level, and the results speak for themselves.
While Doncic is yet to build a significant trophy case, it feels nigh inevitable that he takes his place as a multi-time MVP and/or NBA Champion.
Tier 2: LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant
Three absolute aces. While at the tail end of their primes, these 3 remain among the most potent forces in the sport.
Even in their late 30s, they continue to impact and dominate the game at an unseen level. Their impact isn’t the same as it used to be over the length of an entire 100-game season. However, if it comes down to it, it is hard to put anyone from Tier 3 above these 3.
Tier 3: Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jalen Brunson
The tier of the ascending star. For each of these players, there are a few question marks still left. Whether “they haven’t done it for too long” or “playoff performances,” questions about them are valid and still existent.
They produce near-MVP caliber seasons and sometimes take it up a notch in the playoffs. However, a sustained run near the top, with playoff performances to boot, could easily take them up a level as early as next season.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
Interested in reading the latest storylines and analysis in the NFL? Check out our partner NFL Analysis Network.
Most Popular
Comments / 0