"He’s one of the 2 top players in the league" - 3x NBA 6th Man of the Year ranks Jayson Tatum alongside Nikola Jokic
Jayson Tatum faced extensive criticism following his shooting woes during the Boston Celtics' 2024 NBA championship run and Team USA's Paris Olympic gold medal triumph. Nevertheless, according to three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams, the superstar forward still ranks among the NBA's top two to four players.
Despite averaging a team-best 25.0 points per game across 19 playoff outings, Tatum shot only 42.7% and 28.3% from 3-point range. His efficiency suffered further in the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, as he shot 38.8% and 26.3% from deep over five games.
Following his shooting struggles, Tatum missed out on winning Finals MVP, with his co-star Jaylen Brown securing the honor. The five-time All-Star followed that up by being a relative non-factor for Team USA at this summer's Olympics. He averaged 5.3 ppg on 38.1% shooting and missed all his 3-point attempts across four contests, getting benched in another two.
Since then, many have questioned Jayson Tatum's status among the NBA's premier superstars. However, Williams pushed back on that narrative on Monday's episode of FanDuel's "Run It Back."
Williams noted that Tatum is motivated for redemption entering the 2024-25 campaign, making him as dangerous as ever. He added that the four-time All-NBA selectee is neck and neck with last season's top three MVP vote-getters, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic.
"He's pissed off. I still think he's one of the two top players in the league," Williams said. "You know, obviously, that can be interchangeable depending on health. That's going to be a big catalyst for how this season goes, but he's still right there with Luka. He’s still right there with SGA, Jokic, and those are the top four guys."
Williams' assessment of Tatum's placement in the league's superstar hierarchy contrasts the mainstream media opinion. Most have Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic a tier above Tatum, who has never finished higher than fourth in MVP voting.
However, the seemingly motivated reigning NBA champion could be in store for a career year in his eighth season.
Also Read: "Not chasing MVP" - Jayson Tatum doubles down on team success over personal accolades
Jayson Tatum says fixing his 3-point shot was his main priority ahead of potential redemption season
Entering this year's training camp, Jayson Tatum touched on his 2024 postseason 3-point shooting woes. He highlighted how he and his trainer Drew Hanlen prioritized fixing his shooting form over the offseason.
"I shot 38 percent from 3 last year. I shot 8.5 3s a game. Just in the playoffs, I didn't shoot from 3 as well as I would've liked," Tatum said of his refined shooting form.
"... Just a reflection of looking backward at what happened last season, and going into the next season, what can I get better at and work on? Being more efficient from 3 was at the top of the list."
Tatum has shot over 40.0% from deep in two of his first seven seasons, peaking at 43.4% across 80 outings during his rookie campaign (2017-18). So, he will look to recapture his elite outside shooting proficiency in Year 8.
Also Read: Jayson Tatum claims participation in 'Starting Five' was down to confidence in winning championship