When ESPN released its annual “NBA Rank” top 10 list Thursday morning, many of us in Celtics-centric circles immediately looked for Jayson Tatum.
OK, Nikola Jokic is No. 1. I’d go with Victor Wembanyama, but Jokic is certainly special. Then comes Wemby, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That’s pretty clearly the top three until further notice, at least from my perspective.
Tatum should be next, or at least close to it, right? Wait a minute, Luka Doncic is fourth with that kind of defense? Giannis Antetokounmpo is ahead of Tatum without a jump shot? Jalen Brunson had a magical run and is elite, but give me Tatum any day. Anthony Edwards can score in bunches, but seventh feels like a stretch. Cade Cunningham, at No. 8, is a bright star but still has room to grow.
Then comes Tatum, sitting at No. 9, right before Donovan Mitchell. Seriously? I know lists like this are designed to stir the pot and spark debate, but I genuinely disagree with putting Tatum that low.
My top 10 would personally look like this:
- Victor Wembanyama
- Nikola Jokic
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Jayson Tatum
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Jalen Brunson
- Luka Doncic
- Anthony Edwards
- Steph Curry
- Baylor Scheierman
Just seeing if you’re paying attention. Cunningham gets the final spot, barely ahead of Mitchell and Kawhi Leonard.
To be clear, this is subjective, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I just happen to disagree with the opinion of those polled.
Here’s why: Out of every player in the top nine, Tatum is the second-most versatile behind Wemby. How many guys here have Tatum’s jump shot? Wembanyama, Jokic, SGA, Doncic, Brunson, Curry (way better, obviously) and Edwards. That’s a lot, and it’s probably why he’s No. 9.
But, how many guys in that group of nine can rebound at Tatum’s level? Wemby, Jokic and Giannis.
How many guys can pass at his level? Jokic, Doncic, Brunson, Curry and Cunningham.
How many guys can defend at his level? Wembanyama (better), Antetokounmpo (but he’s not getting any younger), then arguably Edwards and Cunningham but I’d put them a notch below.
The only guys who legitimately fit in all four of those categories, in my opinion, are Wemby and Tatum.
I’m not saying Tatum is at Wemby’s level, but he’s the only other guy who truly excels in every facet. In a weird way, Tatum’s superpower is that he doesn’t have a superpower – outside of being super and powerful, of course. He’s just an excellent all-around player who shapes the game in every way and maximizes the talents of those around him. Guys like Doncic and Edwards are tremendously skilled, but they don’t affect the action all over the floor like Tatum does.
ESPN even bolsters my case in its own article:
Signature stat: Tatum is one of three players to average at least 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game across the past two seasons, joining Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Pretty good, huh? Real ones who watch the Celtics regularly know just how incredible this guy is and what a treat it is to see him go to work every night.
I like to look at these lists through the lens of: “Which player would I pick in a draft to build a team to win a championship this year?” Not next year, not last year, not to build a dynasty. Right now.
There are three guys I’d take over Tatum, and that’s it. This is assuming he’ll be at full strength and look completely like himself, which I believe will be the case. If not, it’s obviously a different argument.
OK, so I’ve done my best to convince you guys that Tatum should be fourth. I hope it worked. But, what about the green-teamers out there who think he should be even higher? I’m sorry, but I can’t put him above Jokic or SGA.
Jokic is quite slow, and is a liability on defense at times, but his passing and triple-double wizardry is just bonkers. While SGA’s style of play can be a bit of an eyesore, and the flopping is frustrating aesthetically, he is basically a walking bucket. He just gets to his spots and scores at will. It’s close, but I would pick SGA third if I were drafting a team.
Tatum comes next. That’s my take, at least.
What’s your top 10? Feel free to comment below. It’s a fun topic to debate.
