If you could only keep Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum, who would you choose?
If you could only keep Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum, who would you choose?
If you could only keep Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum, who would you choose? Before I argue for one player over the other, it is pretty clear what the general consensus is.
If you could only keep Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum, who would you choose? Before I argue for one player over the other, it is pretty clear what the general consensus is.
If you could only keep Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum, who would you choose?
Before I argue for one player over the other, it is pretty clear what the general consensus is:
Jason Tatum.
Take James Stewart of 985 the Sports Hub’s "hot take" on Twitter for instance:
Celtics Broadcaster Mike Gorman agrees with Stewart and also has calls Tatum “untouchable.”
However, you don’t hear these types of reactions when people speak about Jaylen Brown. Fans and media members like Brown, but they love Tatum.
It’s not just Stewart and Gorman who feel this way. Many others think that the Celtics should trade away Brown before giving up Tatum.
Why is this exactly?
For one, people are very impressed with Jason Tatum’s shooting ability. For a guy who was not necessarily known as a lights-out shooter in college, Tatum has become almost automatic from beyond the arc.
In addition to his shooting, fans and media members also love the fact that he is a rookie who is already so poised with a repertoire of moves and has a scorer’s mentality.
In contrast, Brown is a little “rawer” and has a less consistent jump shot than Tatum.
Lastly, Tatum is simply new. Fans have seen Jaylen Brown and were excited about his potential, but now this new guy comes along, ingratiates himself into the system quicker and is the hot new thing.
But let’s examine Brown and Tatum’s numbers further to really compare each of these players.
Jaylen Brown: 6 feet 7 inches, 21 years old, second year
14.1 PTS, 1.6 AST, 5.2 REB, 13.30 PER, FG% = .46, 3P% = .37, 30.9 MPG
Jason Tatum: 6 feet 8 inches, 20 years old, rookie
13.3 PTS, 1.4 AST, 5.0 REB, 14.95 PER, FG% = .47, 3P% = .43, 30.3 MPG
When you just look at the stats, these two players are insanely similar. Brown scores slightly more per game, while Tatum’s field goal, 3-point percentage, and efficiency rating are higher. Remember, Tatum is only rookie and Brown is in his second year so Tatum is already ahead of Brown in the development process.
There is no doubt that you should be excited about Jayson Tatum. The fact that he is shooting 43 percent from 3-point range is unreal. The fact that he is a starter and a solid scorer on one of the best teams in the league as a rookie is very impressive. He has even played good defense for the Celtics.
With that said, there are some negatives and deficiencies when it comes to Jayson Tatum. What are they?
Well, he is not that athletic or quick, he needs work on his overall ball handling and beating his man off the dribble, and he does not exactly have Kyrie Irving’s finishing abilities inside. In addition, there have been many games and stretches in the season when Tatum just looks terrible.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Tatum, and I think he is going to be a stud for years to come. Having tough stretches in one’s rookie year is completely normal. However, people need to slow down on the Tatum hype. He will probably be an All-star player at some point but take it easy.
Take some of that energy for Tatum and bring it back down to Brown.
Last season, here were Jaylen Brown’s numbers:
6.6 PTS, 0.8 AST, 2.8 REB, FG% = .45, 3P% = .34, 17.2 MPG
If you look at the improvement from year one to year two, one has to think, what will be the improvement from year two to year three?
With Brown, he is naturally an insane athlete. What he needs to improve on are his individual skills, like ball handling, shooting, and one-on-one moves.
With Tatum, it is the exact opposite. Yes, he needs to improve on individual moves, finishing inside, and ball handling. But the one thing Tatum needs to improve that Brown already has is athleticism. Tatum just isn’t that naturally quick or athletic. He doesn’t move very fast from side to side and he, therefore, cannot defend like Brown can defend.
Now, just because Brown is more athletic than Tatum, doesn’t mean that Brown will be a better player than Tatum. Just look at Paul Pierce. People have compared Jayson Tatum and Paul Pierce for good reason. Both players are effective scorers who are not naturally that athletic.
However, the fact that Brown’s biggest weakness is something he can improve, like shooting, while Tatum’s biggest weakness is something he can’t, like athleticism, is important. Brown can and should improve his shooting abilities. In fact, he already has and is now a decent shooter. But it is going to be more difficult for Tatum to improve on some of his athletic deficiencies.
If we are talking about who has the higher ceiling, it is Jaylen Brown. Absolutely. I don’t think anyone can argue that Brown doesn’t have a higher ceiling than Tatum. This isn’t a criticism of Jayson Tatum. This is more of a statement about the potential for Jaylen Brown.
And don’t forget that Jaylen Brown is averaging 14 points a game this season in only his second year. It is not like he is a project player. He is already a very good NBA player who is most likely going to be a great player.
If you had to gamble money on one player, who do choose?
If you want to take the safest bet, you keep Tatum.
But, as MJ would say, the ceiling is the roof for Jaylen Brown. But will he ultimately get there? That is the question.
Brown is already putting up big time stats in his second season. Tatum is doing it in his rookie season. Both players should have great careers for this young Celtics team for years to come.
But if I had to keep one player, I am keeping Jaylen Brown. I put my money down on the player with the highest ceiling, rather than the safe player with a pretty jump shot.
Luckily, the Celtics don’t have to make that choice.
At least not yet.
If you could only keep Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum, who would you choose?
Before I argue for one player over the other, it is pretty clear what the general consensus is:
Jason Tatum.
Take James Stewart of 985 the Sports Hub’s "hot take" on Twitter for instance:
Celtics Broadcaster Mike Gorman agrees with Stewart and also has calls Tatum “untouchable.”
However, you don’t hear these types of reactions when people speak about Jaylen Brown. Fans and media members like Brown, but they love Tatum.
It’s not just Stewart and Gorman who feel this way. Many others think that the Celtics should trade away Brown before giving up Tatum.
Why is this exactly?
For one, people are very impressed with Jason Tatum’s shooting ability. For a guy who was not necessarily known as a lights-out shooter in college, Tatum has become almost automatic from beyond the arc.
In addition to his shooting, fans and media members also love the fact that he is a rookie who is already so poised with a repertoire of moves and has a scorer’s mentality.
In contrast, Brown is a little “rawer” and has a less consistent jump shot than Tatum.
Lastly, Tatum is simply new. Fans have seen Jaylen Brown and were excited about his potential, but now this new guy comes along, ingratiates himself into the system quicker and is the hot new thing.
But let’s examine Brown and Tatum’s numbers further to really compare each of these players.
Jaylen Brown: 6 feet 7 inches, 21 years old, second year
14.1 PTS, 1.6 AST, 5.2 REB, 13.30 PER, FG% = .46, 3P% = .37, 30.9 MPG
Jason Tatum: 6 feet 8 inches, 20 years old, rookie
13.3 PTS, 1.4 AST, 5.0 REB, 14.95 PER, FG% = .47, 3P% = .43, 30.3 MPG
When you just look at the stats, these two players are insanely similar. Brown scores slightly more per game, while Tatum’s field goal, 3-point percentage, and efficiency rating are higher. Remember, Tatum is only rookie and Brown is in his second year so Tatum is already ahead of Brown in the development process.
There is no doubt that you should be excited about Jayson Tatum. The fact that he is shooting 43 percent from 3-point range is unreal. The fact that he is a starter and a solid scorer on one of the best teams in the league as a rookie is very impressive. He has even played good defense for the Celtics.
With that said, there are some negatives and deficiencies when it comes to Jayson Tatum. What are they?
Well, he is not that athletic or quick, he needs work on his overall ball handling and beating his man off the dribble, and he does not exactly have Kyrie Irving’s finishing abilities inside. In addition, there have been many games and stretches in the season when Tatum just looks terrible.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Tatum, and I think he is going to be a stud for years to come. Having tough stretches in one’s rookie year is completely normal. However, people need to slow down on the Tatum hype. He will probably be an All-star player at some point but take it easy.
Take some of that energy for Tatum and bring it back down to Brown.
Last season, here were Jaylen Brown’s numbers:
6.6 PTS, 0.8 AST, 2.8 REB, FG% = .45, 3P% = .34, 17.2 MPG
If you look at the improvement from year one to year two, one has to think, what will be the improvement from year two to year three?
With Brown, he is naturally an insane athlete. What he needs to improve on are his individual skills, like ball handling, shooting, and one-on-one moves.
With Tatum, it is the exact opposite. Yes, he needs to improve on individual moves, finishing inside, and ball handling. But the one thing Tatum needs to improve that Brown already has is athleticism. Tatum just isn’t that naturally quick or athletic. He doesn’t move very fast from side to side and he, therefore, cannot defend like Brown can defend.
Now, just because Brown is more athletic than Tatum, doesn’t mean that Brown will be a better player than Tatum. Just look at Paul Pierce. People have compared Jayson Tatum and Paul Pierce for good reason. Both players are effective scorers who are not naturally that athletic.
However, the fact that Brown’s biggest weakness is something he can improve, like shooting, while Tatum’s biggest weakness is something he can’t, like athleticism, is important. Brown can and should improve his shooting abilities. In fact, he already has and is now a decent shooter. But it is going to be more difficult for Tatum to improve on some of his athletic deficiencies.
If we are talking about who has the higher ceiling, it is Jaylen Brown. Absolutely. I don’t think anyone can argue that Brown doesn’t have a higher ceiling than Tatum. This isn’t a criticism of Jayson Tatum. This is more of a statement about the potential for Jaylen Brown.
And don’t forget that Jaylen Brown is averaging 14 points a game this season in only his second year. It is not like he is a project player. He is already a very good NBA player who is most likely going to be a great player.
If you had to gamble money on one player, who do choose?
If you want to take the safest bet, you keep Tatum.
But, as MJ would say, the ceiling is the roof for Jaylen Brown. But will he ultimately get there? That is the question.
Brown is already putting up big time stats in his second season. Tatum is doing it in his rookie season. Both players should have great careers for this young Celtics team for years to come.
But if I had to keep one player, I am keeping Jaylen Brown. I put my money down on the player with the highest ceiling, rather than the safe player with a pretty jump shot.
Luckily, the Celtics don’t have to make that choice.
At least not yet.