Jayson Tatum has been looked at as the future of the NBA ever since his phenomenal rookie season in the league. After seven seasons, Tatum is still looking to solidify his spot as the future face of the NBA. He recently told The Athletic that he thinks the status of being the face of the NBA is his to take and will be his if the Celtics win a title.
“I feel like it’s mine to take. I do feel like, if we win a championship, it would be more distinguished and clear. But I understand I’m on that shortlist for sure.”
Tatum's play on the court has found an air of consistency as a perennial All-NBA First Team talent, with some even trying to push him as the MVP of the NBA. The Celtics are by far the best team in the league with Tatum as their No. 1 option. But unless they win a title this season, nobody will care, something that even the forward realizes.
“I understand that, no matter what I do in the regular season, I’m at that point where people just judge me off whether I can win a championship,” Tatum said. “I realize that, and it’s like, all right, I just gotta do it.”
JT is averaging 27.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists this season. While his statistics aren't nearly on the level of other MVP candidates such as Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, his team's success trumps everyone else.
Does Jayson Tatum Deserve To Be In The MVP Race?
Jayson Tatum hasn't taken the MVP leap many have been expecting from him in the last few seasons. He had a strong chance at the MVP last season, but a second-half slowdown from him and the Celtics led to the race once again coming down to Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.
Recently, Draymond Green came out and said that Tatum is getting penalized in MVP conversations because the Celtics have been a contender for almost every year of Tatum's career but he's yet to prove his status as the best by winning a title. The 25-year-old Celtics forward thinks he's treated unfairly and agreed with Draymond while speaking with The Athletic.
“It’s a little unfair because everybody don’t get the same treatment. I feel like even some guys older than me or the same age as me get looked at differently than I do. Fair or unfair, whatever it is, I think it’s because we’ve had so much early success.”
Even if Tatum doesn't get the same treatment, it's hard to make a case for him over the four leading candidates. The only case Tatum has is his team record, but he has easily the best starting five in the NBA.
Jaylen Brown has the richest contract in NBA history and was an All-Star. Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis have been pushed as All-Stars during voting because of their production. Finally, Jrue Holiday has been considered the best defensive guard in the NBA for over a decade. With all this, it's not hard to see why the Celtics have the best record in the league.
Shai, Jokic, Doncic, and Giannis have been carrying their teams with incredible workloads and production. Tatum simply doesn't have that same responsibility, and that's ok. If he wants an MVP trophy, targeting the Finals MVP as the best player on the winning team might be a better reward.
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