While fans of Jaylen Brown are hoping the Boston Celtics wing gets the All-NBA nod so that he will be eligible for the so-called “supermax” extension that will allow the Georgia native to re-sign with the Celtics at a better pay grade and total contract value than he would be able to find elsewhere, the All-NBA race for 2022-23 is a tight one, especially at the guard spot.
Not everyone sees Brown as a lock for All-NBA either, with many seeing only fellow star teammate Jayson Tatum as Boston’s sole All-NBA caliber player this season — including Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, who sees the St. Louis native as a First Team forward.
“Tatum has done more than enough to land on the All-NBA first team for the second year in a row,” writes Hughes.
Tatum has nothing to apologize for here,” suggests the B/R analyst. “He’s going to finish this season with his best-ever counting stats and continue his remarkable streak of increasing his points, rebounds, and assists per game in every year of his career.”
“Averages of 30.0 points, 8.9 boards, and 4.7 assists aren’t all that far off the numbers ironclad-lock (Giannis) Antetokounmpo is posting, and Tatum is producing those stats with the added bonus of a viable 3-point shot. They’re different players, and they aren’t even really in competition with each other in this context. But just for some fun perspective, Antetokounmpo’s career high for made triples in a season is 89 in 2019-20. Tatum blew past that number in his 28th game of 2022-23…on Dec. 13.”
“Tatum’s status as one of only two players this season to average at least seven free throws and three made triples per contest (Damian Lillard is the other) illustrates the completeness of his offensive game,” adds Hughes.
“Few scorers in NBA history have ever matched the combination of size, physicality, self-creation, and perimeter accuracy Tatum has showcased in 2022-23,” he continued.
“It’s not like he’s spending all his energy on offense, either. Tatum rarely fouls, rates in the 98th percentile at his position on the defensive glass, and rates above average among forwards in both block and steal rates.”
“As top options go, Tatum is merely passable in isolation (53rd percentile in scoring efficiency). But he’s a highly dangerous off-ball threat whose length and defensive versatility make him one of the most well-rounded players in the league,” suggests the author.
“Improved foul-drawing guile and the long-awaited reduction in off-arm shoves leading to offensive fouls have pumped up his efficiency to career-best levels. We’ve reduced the value of availability throughout this exercise, but Tatum earns bonus points (that he doesn’t really need) by ranking fourth in the league in minutes.”
“That helps him rank second overall in Estimated Wins Added, per Dunks and Threes,” closes Hughes.
We believe Brown’s case is as good or better than a number of projected options at guard in Hughes’ estimation, but we also weigh absence and the context individual successes take place in heavier, something Hughes rightfully notes has not always been a factor.
Brown might have a better shot at that supermax deal if he is eligible as a forward, but given the bulk of his play has been in the backcourt this season, that option may not be on the table for voters.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=590969556]
Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire