After one year at Duke, Jayson Tatum was a proven lottery pick, taken third overall in the 2017 Draft.  It didn’t take long for Tatum to prove the Celtics correct in selecting him.

Blessed with incredible footwork and slick shooting, Tatum was an All-Rookie and an immediate starter, usually at Small Forward, and has there been a season thus far where we have not seen his game improve?  Tatum went to his first of what is currently four straight All-Star Games in his third season (2019-20), when he netted his first 20-plus PPG season (23.4).  The year after, he raised that to over 26, and was now the unquestioned leader of the Celtics and an upper-echelon performer.  If there was any doubt about that, it was erased in 2021-22, when he led Boston to the NBA Finals (losing to Golden State) and captured the inaugural Eastern Conference Finals MVP.  He was also named a First Team All-Star.  In the 2022-23 season, Tatum broke 30 Points per Game and was the league leader in Points with 2,225.  He was again named a First Team All-NBA player.

Tatum had his ultimate breakthrough two years ago when he led the Celtics to the NBA Championship after a 26.9 PPG season and a third consecutive First Team All-NBA selection.  This propelled Tatum into the Celtics stratosphere, and if he remains with Boston for years to come, it is possible that a top-five ranking among the most prestigious basketball franchises could come his way. However, he has to recover from his torn ACL.

We won't bet against him.