Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum is poised to one day be the league MVP

Over the last three years, Jayson Tatum has fulfilled and exceeded the expectations of being a top draft choice for the Boston Celtics.

The Boston Celtics have a superstar in the making with Jayson Tatum. The 21-year-old Duke product has become the go-to player for the Celtics and is poised to be the face of the franchise for years to come.

Tatum has improved every year since his impressive rookie season as a young 19-year-old. He is leading his team to victories in a variety of ways and is averaging 22.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game this season. He also became the youngest player in Celtics’ history to score 25-plus points in 5 consecutive games this season.

In just under three seasons in the NBA, Tatum has earned his first All-Star appearance, is one of three players Celtics averaging 20 points or more per game, and is a possible dark-horse candidate to get to the fringes of the Most Valuable Player discussion. With that being said, does Tatum have a chance to win MVP one day?

The Celtics haven’t had a player win MVP since the great days of Larry Bird, when he won the award in three consecutive years from 1984 to 1986. There also hasn’t been a Celtics player in the conversation since Isaiah Thomas became the “King of the Fourth” in 2017.

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It’s definitely too early to be talking about the MVP Award, as we’re only halfway through the season. But since NBA.com came out with their most recent list of the Top-10 leaders in the MVP race, why shouldn’t we be talking about it?

Jayson Tatum has risen into ninth-place on the MVP ladder. To even be considered of earning the MVP Award in just his third season is a true honor of its own. The Boston Celtics are in a great spot this season and that’s largely due to the way Tatum has played this season.

Tatum’s development as a professional has found himself in the same MVP conversation with the top superstars of the NBA in players like Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic. This is along with former league MVPs such as LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Tatum is on the cusp of becoming an expert marksman from behind the arc. He has created this beautiful step-back side-step shot that he has made work beautifully for himself. Tatum is going towards the left side of the rim more, while still utilizing his right hand to finish. The moves in his arsenal are making him more difficult to guard anywhere on the court.

He is also starting to grow into more of a two-way player, and has been playing elite-level defense this season on a playoff-contending team. Whether this is the year for Tatum to earn league MVP this season or not, it’s promising to see that he’s already in outside consideration of the award so early in his young career.

Tatum has fulfilled and exceeded the high expectations of being a top draft choice for one of the most historic franchises in the NBA. We’ll have to wait and see what kind of level of play Tatum can bring his game to during the second half of the season and playoff push.