How bright is Jayson Tatum’s NBA future?
The Celtics star is already one of the league’s best players and earned First-Team All-NBA honors in 2021-22 while leading Boston to the NBA Finals at age 24. But he’s not the only superstar under 25, as Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has made three First-Team All-NBA squads before turning 24.
So, who has more upside: Tatum or Doncic? ESPN’s Tim Bontemps polled 15 NBA coaches, scouts and executives on several league-related questions, including this one: Who will be the best player in the NBA five years from now?
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Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was the runaway winner with seven votes, but Tatum and Doncic received two votes apiece. An Eastern Conference scout made a compelling case for choosing Tatum over Doncic — mostly focused on Tatum’s defensive prowess.
“Just because of the defensive component,” the scout told Bontemps. “Luka is a stud, and you don’t need to be a defensive lockdown guy to be an All-NBA player like he is, but having Tatum’s self-creation ability, his physical tools and his ability to give you defensive versatility, that’s pretty special.
“Luka did a hell of a job carrying that team this year, but the two-way wing creator/scorer is the ultimate archetype, and Tatum is that at 24 years old, and just got that team to the Finals. I just like his ability to give you something defensively that Luka likely never will be able to.”
While Tatum is a brilliant scorer and a rapidly improving playmaker, he’s also an underrated defender. The 6-foot-8, 210 forward earned one First-Team All-Defense vote and two Second-Team All-Defense votes last season while playing a key role on the No. 1 defense in the NBA.
Even if Doncic improves as a defender, Tatum will always have more defensive upside thanks to his length and ability to guard multiple positions.
The 2021-22 Celtics reinforced the value of defense, as their strength on that end was a big reason why they reached the NBA Finals. Tatum was essential to Boston’s defensive success, and his two-way prowess could help him blossom into a more complete player than Doncic when all is said and done.
