Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum standing out in 2017 NBA Summer League

Jayson Tatum has been the best player on the Boston Celtics NBA Summer League team thus far.

Jayson Tatum, the No. 3 overall pick in the NBA Draft, has been the best player in a Boston Celtics jersey in the summer league.

Of course, he hasn’t played an NBA game yet, and five Summer League games is a small sample size, but Tatum has the tools to develop into a very good NBA player.

Everything we saw from Tatum at Duke remains true. He can score inside and out and is an excellent, tough shot-maker. He has rebounded at a very proficient rate and his defense has been solid.

After the 2017 NBA Draft, Danny Ainge raised some eyebrows after saying the Celtics would’ve taken Tatum with the first pick had they kept it. Well, those critics need to relax their faces, because Tatum has outplayed Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball so far in Summer League. Boston already had its franchise point guard in Isaiah Thomas, and Tatum was the best plug for the holes at the wing positions.

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A strong start

In his debut at the Utah Summer League, Tatum dazzled the crowd against Markelle Fultz and the 76ers. He put his first bucket on the board by driving into the lane and finishing with a smooth finger roll.

In the second quarter he showcased a one-legged fadeaway jumper that Dirk Nowitzki would be proud of. He rounded out the half by catching the ball in the mid-post, taking one dribble to the middle of the floor and finishing at the rim with a thunderous jam.

In the second half, Tatum made some jump shots, finished in transition and showed off his polished footwork with a beautiful up-and-under move. Fultz and the Sixers were able to keep the lead late into the fourth quarter.

With the Celtics trailing by one point, they put the ball in Tatum’s hands at the top of the key and everyone else got out of the way. Tatum made a move to his right, hit his defender with a hesitation, and sunk a game-winning jumper with 5.7 seconds remaining on the clock. Tatum finished the game with 21 points, seven rebounds and five steals.

Jayson Tatum averaged 18.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals in three games in the Utah Summer League. He has put up 19.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in his first two games in the Las Vegas Summer League, including a dominating 27-point, 11-rebound game against Lonzo Ball and the Lakers.

Despite playing alongside the more experienced Jaylen Brown, Tatum has been the No. 1 option for Boston thus far. His offensive game is just so polished for a player who only has a year of college ball under his belt. Tatum and Brown appear to be ready to lead the Celtics’ second unit next season.

Jayson doesn’t possess extreme quickness or explosiveness, but his size and superior footwork more than make up for it. Tatum said that his favorite player growing up was Kobe Bryant, and his post play tells one that he has spent plenty of time studying the Mamba’s every move.

Can Tatum develop into a star?

Jayson Tatum’s ceiling appears to be very high. Chris Broussard seems to think that Tatum will be an All-Star in only two years.

Will Tatum actually be better than Gordon Hayward in two years when he’ll only be 21 years old? Not likely. Is Broussard a prisoner of the moment? Probably so. But Tatum does have the potential to be a Gordon Hayward level player or even better in his prime years.

He reminds one of another Boston Celtic, Paul Pierce. Neither player possessed next-level athleticism, but they can both score at will. Pierce and Tatum possess the skill of being able to create a high percentage shot out of nothing. They’re the type of guys that players pass the ball to  late in the shot clock and coaches call on to make game-winning shots. They get buckets.

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I don’t think Tatum will win the Rookie of the Year award simply because Ball and Fultz will receive more playing time on their squads in L.A. and Philly. With Boston looking to contend for the Eastern Conference crown next season, Tatum will have time to develop before he takes on a starting role. But in the long run, Tatum has the potential to be the best player in the 2017 NBA Draft.