The 10 most dominant NBA players entering 2024-25, ranked

7) Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum finally won his first championship last season, but the questions and criticism around the Celtics superstar are as loud as ever. This comes after one of the most tumultuous offseasons for an NBA champion in a long time.

Despite leading Boston in points, rebounds, and assists throughout their postseason run, Tatum could not find consistent minutes for USA basketball at the Olympics, as he was benched for two of their games in the gold medal run. Additionally, Tatum’s struggles shooting the ball were some of the worst we’ve seen from a superstar, as he shot below 30 percent on pull up jumpers in the playoffs.

So why is Tatum in the top seven? Well, he is coming off his third straight All-NBA first-team appearance, and fourth straight season averaging at least 26 PPG. He also averaged a career-high in assists and shot his highest percentage from three-point range in the regular season since 2021. He also flirted with a triple-double average in the finals as well (22/8/7), including two games with double-digit assists.

Oftentimes, people get lost in Tatum’s shortcomings and forget that he is one of the best all-around wings in the NBA. The Celtics wouldn’t win that championship without his defensive impact and playmaking ability. Yes, Jaylen Brown was the Finals MVP. But Tatum is still the best player on the best team in the NBA and after an offseason full of noise, expect the St. Louis native to come back with a vengeance.