With so many exciting young stars in the NBA currently, teams around the league would jump at the opportunity to build their lineup around a number of them.
Especially a youngster as good as Jayson Tatum with the playoff experience he has.
The Boston Celtics currently one of four teams still alive in the NBA playoffs, and the team’s forward has made visible jumps in improving his game this year. So much so, that one executive called Tatum better than a certain six-time NBA All-Star in at least one department.
“He’s a two-way player who’s better than Paul George,” a Western Conference executive told HoopsHype. “He can get to the basket, shoot three-pointers off the dribble, and he guards the best perimeter player.”
HoopsHype recently polled 15 talent evaluators to find out which players under 25 years old whom they’d want to build their franchise around. And the group, comprised to four general managers, six executives and five scouts ranked Tatum as the most sought-after player behind Luca Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
“Tatum’s size and offensive skills are what appeals me to him,” a scout said. “He has the ability to be someone you play through and can have a high-level offense. He can get his shot off against anyone and still be efficient. He needs to improve his passing a little bit, but considering the gains that he’s made with his game year to year, he’s going to get there. Also, his improvements on the defensive end show his competitive spirit, and I would imagine that he’s going to continue to improve on that end.”
Tatum will get to continue to make his case on Wednesday, as the Celtics tip-off against the Miami Heat for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
