2017-18 NBA Rookie of the Year ladder: Week 24 power rankings

4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Last week: 3rd (↓1)

The Boston Celtics are still second in the Eastern Conference and that’s good news for rookie Jayson Tatum. Tatum had an impressive run in the month of March as he got back to his usual scoring self.

He averaged a season-high 15.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in March while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from 3-point range. It was arguably Tatum’s most productive month as the Celtics look to make their push for a title in the NBA Playoffs.

Floor general Kyrie Irving is out for 3-6 weeks after undergoing knee surgery but Terry Rozier has given the team some relief. With Irving out at least for the first round of the playoffs, things could change soon in Boston. The game plan could use some tweaking in Tatum’s favor to lighten the load. If given the opportunity, he can be a solid 40 percent shooter from inside and outside the arc.