Ranking the top 50 NBA players of next season: 20-11

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13. Jayson Tatum

The face of the Boston Celtics franchise took a major leap last season. In just his third season, Jayson Tatum posted a line of 23.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game. It was his first as the primary option on offensive side of the ball after the team parted ways with Kyrie Irving and the former Duke Blue Devil clearly was ready for the opportunity.

Tatum made his first All-Star appearance and made Third Team All-NBA. He has become the leader of a true title contender, making it back to the Conference Finals after appearing there in his rookie season. The Boston Celtics transitioned through a vast amount of roster turnover and Tatum was one of the biggest seasons that they got one step closer to achieving their goal.

The next step for Tatum is developing his passing game. Any time he would eclipse four assists in a game the announcers would go wild. He has never hit double figures in that category and while that is not essential it would bring him to a level that many lead wings hit for title teams. As Kemba Walker ages, even more of the offense will need to run through Tatum and that includes setting his teammates up.

It will be tough for the Celtics to repeat their trip to the Conference Finals this year unless Tatum takes another step. He is on the track to be one of the best in this game. His time is now.