![]() ![]() And considering the aesthetic crossover between his game and Durant’s, it would seem Tatum holds the superstar’s opinion in high regard. Of course, Tatum has always been one to gauge his progress against the league’s greats, as he bids to become the best player in the world. But in truth, he’s probably still another year away from saying that definitively. Is Tatum now a better playmaker than Durant? Maybe. However, Tatum’s ability to read the floor, perceive a pass, and react accordingly (processing speed) has vastly improved throughout the year. Playmaking has always been the swing factor in Tatum’s development into a superstar, and when you look at previous meetings between these two players, the assist ratio has always been where the biggest gap resides. Those numbers jump for both parties during the playoffs, where the pair faced off for five games last season, with Durant winning that series as part of a gentleman’s sweep. In those seven games, Durant tallied averages of 26 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, while Tatum went for 20.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. Because I know as he starts to get older, we’re going to be battling them year in and year out.”Īccording to Stathead, Tatum and Durant have faced off against each other seven times during the regular season, with the Nets superstar holding a one-win advantage over the Celtics budding star. It was an honor to play against him,” Durant said in a previous episode of The Etc’s podcast, “I hate that we’re in the same conference. He’s that elite level player already at 23 and I’m like, ‘All right, I can see where this is going. I’ve had series against Kobe, LeBron, Tim Duncan, and the Memphis Grizzlies - Jayson Tatum is in that conversation. “I’ve been in the league for 13, 14 years and I started to tally-mark the matchups, the series, the players that I’ve played against. Interestingly, Durant has previously given his thoughts on this matter, and by all accounts, he agrees. Make no mistake about it, right now, Kevin Durant is the best, which means there’s no better time for Tatum to stake his claim for the future throne than now. But, to paraphrase the movie Never Back Down, if you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. Still, after his usual post-All-Star break explosion, Tatum is giving off legitimate future MVP vibes, and that’s the first time we can genuinely say that since he entered the league as an isolation-scoring rookie. We all knew that he the St Louis native was capable of becoming a top-five player in the NBA, but having the potential, and actually taking those last few steps are totally different. Improvements in rebounding, passing, shot distribution, and rim finishing have all played a part in Tatum’s rise. After a season of incredible development, Tatum is now a far more complete player than the one who went to battle against Durant in last year's playoffs. ![]() Jayson Tatum enters the Boston Celtics series against the Brooklyn Nets as the clear-cut second-best player in the series, but the tides may be starting to turn in his favor. ![]()
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