Predicting the 10 NBA stars who will still be dominant in five years

4) Jayson Tatum

It is easy to forget how young Jayson Tatum is considering he has been a fixture on the league's biggest stages since he entered the league. Now in his 7th season, Tatum is still just 25 years old and already has a resume that could rival some of the league's more established superstars.

In his first 6 seasons, Tatum has had the Celtics in the playoffs every season, including 4 Conference Final appearances as well an NBA Finals appearance in 2022. NBA fans and media alike love to talk about how players are judged based on their playoff performances rather than the regular season, yet it feels as though Tatum's playoff pedigree is often overlooked.

Among players aged 26 or younger (Tatum is still only 25), he ranks 7th all time in playoff wins, 2nd in playoff points, 1st in three pointers made, and 4th in rebounds. He has also authored two of the most iconic playoff performances in the Celtics storied history.

These include a 46-point outburst, on the road in Game 6 of the Conference Finals against the Bucks while facing elimination, as well as his famous 51-point performance in Game 7 against the Sixers in last year's second round, the most points ever scored in a Game 7.

Tatum is coming off two consecutive First Team All-NBA selections and just earned his 5th consecutive All-Star nod. He leads the best team in the NBA in points, rebounds, and assists, and he often finds himself guarding the other team's best defender down the stretch.

The Celtics and Tatum are not going anywhere. If they are able to bring home some hardware in the coming seasons, Tatum will have a case for the league's best player in 5 years' time.