The MVP Season That No One’s Talking About
Creator: Winslow Townson | Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports | Copyright: Winslow Townson
The NBA is constantly updating their MVP rankings on their website, selecting who they believe would be the MVP if the season were to end at that time. Just recently, Jayson Tatum has been added to that list at the number ten slot. While it may be understandable to have players such as Lebron James and Kawhi Leonard ahead of him due to team success thus far, in terms of value there aren’t many players who should be in front of Tatum.
Brad Stevens has spent the majority of this season experimenting with rotations and trying to figure out what combinations work best. This includes everything from a triple-big lineup, to running with three sub-six-foot point guards on the floor at the same time. Regardless, the Celtics have been running some pretty odd lineups, but one of the most notable has been when Stevens puts Tatum on the floor with a bunch of bench guys. It has been deemed the “Tatum and the rest” lineup by many. Is Tatum good enough to be running in these lineups where his second-best player is often the likes of Javonte Green or Semi Ojeleye? In short - yes.
While Jaylen Brown has been having a spectacular season this year and deserves all the credit in the world for being one of the best guards in the league, the path forward for the Celtics is, and always has been, Tatum. He’s so versatile, so impactful, and so crafty on offense that it truly changes the way the team plays. This claim not only passes the eye-test but even has the statistics to back it up.
Looking at the past five games alone (regardless of the fact that Brown has been out for two of them), Tatum has been virtually unstoppable. In those five games, the Celtics are 2-3, but the statistics point to all things Tatum. The Celtics have gone on 32 runs in the last five games where the team has been a net positive while on the floor, and Tatum has been a part of 26 of those runs. Out of those 26, eight of them have been without Brown, Kemba Walker, or Marcus Smart on the floor.
Building onto that, Tatum has only had a negative +/- in five games this season, and only one since returning from being out with COVID-19. He’s averaging 27.0 points (1st on Celtics), 7.1 rebounds (2nd on Celtics), 4.1 assists (2nd on Celtics), and 1.4 steals (2nd on Celtics) a night while playing the most minutes out of anybody (35.5). On top of that, he’s shooting 46.9% from the field and 41.9% from three while taking the second-most shots per game in the entire NBA.
Looking at the impact of other players ahead of Tatum in the MVP rankings, even Tatum’s advanced stats shine through. He has a better offensive rating (114.2) than James (1), Luka Doncic (8), Damian Lillard (T-9), and Stephen Curry (T-9). As for defensive ranking, he outshines Nikola Jokic (3), Kevin Durant (4), Leonard (5), Doncic (8), Lillard (T-9), and Curry (T-9). (Kia MVP Ladder ranks shown in parentheses.)
If the Celtics can turn things around in terms of their record, there’s no reason Tatum shouldn’t be higher on this list. He’s the most important player on the Celtics, and although they’ve battled injuries all year, they have the potential to be one of the top teams in the East. If Tatum can lead the way there, he will easily find himself in MVP conversations.
