With a 6’8″ build weighing in at 204 lbs, Jayson Tatum has been nothing but impressive thus far in basketball journey. The Duke Product continues to surprise everyone with his athleticism and his ability to take full control of the game. Tatum is already on his way to having a great year, and he has the potential to be the first Rookie of the Year to come off the bench. Celtics fans, just imagine the words. Jayson Tatum Rookie of the Year.
Scouts had a field day watching him play in college with an impressive 16.8 PPG and 7.6 REB. Tatum was arguably the most NBA ready player going into the 2017 NBA Draft, and his summer league numbers only complimented his style of play.
The only way Tatum can perform at a high level is if he’s out on the floor. In the summer league, he played 31 minutes a game, but once the regular season tips off, Tatum will find himself playing behind All Star Forward Gordon Hayward and athletic swing man Jaylen Brown. Playtime could cause a lot of potential problems for his rookie of the year campaign.
Celtics president of basketball of operations, Danny Ainge’s words seem to lean towards a tough path to playtime for the rookie. “We’ll see what minutes [Tatum] will earn. I’m not worried about how they will play when the lights go on. It will be unlikely that Jayson is Rookie of the Year, because it will probably come from a team that starts their rookies and plays them 35 minutes per night.” Needless to say, the Duke alumni has a lot to prove, even though he’s already jump started his resume with glimpses in the summer league.
The Celtics have a lot of assets this season. Will Tatum take a back seat? Only time will tell what the future holds for the 19-year old versatile forward. My vote will be for Jayson Tatum as rookie of the year!