Despite the Boston Celtics‘ recent struggles, the folks over at our sister site HoopsHype still rate All-Star forward Jayson Tatum at the top of the league’s list of under-25 players. Writer Frank Urbina places Tatum fourth overall on that list (fellow All-Star teammate Jaylen Brown has aged out of the list, for those wondering at his absence), just behind Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks, and Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Tatum is just ahead of Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans (who would likely be higher if not for injury). He “remains one of the top forwards in basketball with an unstoppable face-up mid-range game and accurate three-point shooting,” according to Urbina, “but hasn’t quite taken the next step into the full-blown superstardom many thought he’d be by now.”
The Duke product could certainly end the season higher on this list than he is now with more consistent shooting and a reorientation towards team basketball that might be made easier with some trade deadline moves towards such an end. But, this is a fair assessment at present given how Tatum’s played this season to date.
WATCH: One prominent NBA analyst’s ideal Boston Celtics trade target? Ben Simmons. https://t.co/y2xivsp17h
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 8, 2022
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