What is Jayson Tatum's ceiling?

[Vampirate]

Not being a Celtic fan, i'll weigh in with no Bias.

Being a #2 on a chip team if he keeps improving his scoring and efficiency to the PG13 level.

[cloverleaf]

Tatum and Romeo for Fultz. If they weren't 6ers fans, they'd be pitied.

Right now, it's Tatum and Romeo for the 2020 21st pick and 2020 2nd round pick (w/c I'm not sure they still have after the deals they made).

If they stay healthy, Rob, Romeo and Grant alone should restore the reputation Danny once had for late 1st-round picks. (The first two of which were lottery talents who fell in part due to injury.) And the Jays are cementing his record for early 1st picks.

Their hanging on to the new Big Three too long and Gordo's injury have made it something of a long haul from Danny's last chip, but Wyc wanted his next championship team to be younger and ready for a dynasty--and it looks like Danny is delivering.

On the cheap too: the C's are 25th in salaries this year!

[zoyathedestroya]

PG's regular season before his 2nd trip to ECF vs. Tatum's regular season before his 2nd trip to ECF:



I'm not sure PG had a teammate as good as Kemba or Hayward on that team. Hibbert and PG were All-Stars that season. PG was 3rd team All-NBA.

[exculpatory]

He sure as **** was.
He was vastly underrated.
He was most definitely a 5-15 player in his prime.
Is that close enough to 5?

Actually no, it’s not close enough. The gap between the 15th best player in the league and the 5th best is as big as the 50th best and 15th best.

Paul was always a player that ranked higher in the 4th quarter and in clutch games or clutch situations over players that were traditionally ranked higher than him or voted to more all star games, or in fantasy leagues.

Very fair statement, councilman!
10 All Star Games really should have been 12-14 All Star Games.
In his prime years, Paul was Top 5-15 overall & much closer to Top 5 or even better in Q4, when it mattered & when clutchness was required!
As this board knows all too well, there is zero **** doubt in my mind that Paul Pierce was the most underrated quasi-Super Star of his generation. Hands down.
When he played VS Kobe, Vince, TMac & even LeBron, he either held his own or outplayed them.
Every one of those guys is on the record stating that Paul Pierce was just about the toughest mother **** they had to play against.

[TheMartian]

Regardless of who he is compared to or his overall ceiling, he's killing it in jersey sales lol. (and yes, it matters)

Read on Twitter

That is some mighty good company right there.

Isn't this because the young girls like him?

[tlee324]

Actually no, it’s not close enough. The gap between the 15th best player in the league and the 5th best is as big as the 50th best and 15th best.

Paul was always a player that ranked higher in the 4th quarter and in clutch games or clutch situations over players that were traditionally ranked higher than him or voted to more all star games, or in fantasy leagues.

Very fair statement, councilman!
10 All Star Games really should have been 12-14 All Star Games.
In his prime years, Paul was Top 5-15 overall & much closer to Top 5 or even better in Q4, when it mattered & when clutchness was required!
As this board knows all too well, there is zero **** doubt in my mind that Paul Pierce was the most underrated quasi-Super Star of his generation. Hands down.
When he played VS Kobe, Vince, TMac & even LeBron, he either held his own or outplayed them.
Every one of those guys is on the record stating that Paul Pierce was just about the toughest mother **** they had to play against.

We call him The Truth today because he wore Kobe’s ass out one game lol. Shaq took a shot at Kobe with that one and we loved every moment. Paul always gained the respect of his peers.

[BostonCouchGM]

Tatum is pretty much on the level of the Pacers Paul George right now. And if PG didn’t get hurt, he’d be a much better player than his career suggests. I think Tatum can be a consistent 25-26 ppg and 7-8 reb player. I truly think he can be the #1 scoring option on a team that can get to the Finals. He just needed the freedom to play his game and not defer to anyone. He has that now, and he’s taken that next step.

And while we are on the topic, I’ve always seen Jaylen Brown as a Jimmy Butler type. He may not be the passer Jimmy is yet, but he gets buckets and plays on both ends of the floor in a very similar fashion. He’s tightened up the dribble and can pretty much get wherever he wants to on the floor. He’s learning how to use his body, and the shot is consistently improving. Plus he’s been great on the defensive side.

Jaylen is nowhere near the player Butler is. Butler actually plays defense at an elite level rather than Jaylen who flashes against slow white Europeans once every couple of weeks but disappears the rest of the time and has a reputations as a good defender. Butler is also a much better playmaker and can create his own shot whereas Jaylen is almost completely dependent on others to create for him unless he has a huge advantage like when teams throw their worst defenders at him because he's our 5th best player.

Tatum can come close to reaching peak PG13 but I doubt he can eclipse that because he lacks that elite athleticism. Still, that'll make him capable of making all-NBA 2nd team. Not quite good enough to carry a team to a championship but with some help he could be a #1 on a championship team. He's going to be an all-time great Celtic right up there with Russell, Cousy, Hondo, Bird, McHale, and Pierce. I just hope we can keep him here his whole career.

[Edug27]

Tatum is pretty much on the level of the Pacers Paul George right now. And if PG didn’t get hurt, he’d be a much better player than his career suggests. I think Tatum can be a consistent 25-26 ppg and 7-8 reb player. I truly think he can be the #1 scoring option on a team that can get to the Finals. He just needed the freedom to play his game and not defer to anyone. He has that now, and he’s taken that next step.

And while we are on the topic, I’ve always seen Jaylen Brown as a Jimmy Butler type. He may not be the passer Jimmy is yet, but he gets buckets and plays on both ends of the floor in a very similar fashion. He’s tightened up the dribble and can pretty much get wherever he wants to on the floor. He’s learning how to use his body, and the shot is consistently improving. Plus he’s been great on the defensive side.

Jaylen is nowhere near the player Butler is. Butler actually plays defense at an elite level rather than Jaylen who flashes against slow white Europeans once every couple of weeks but disappears the rest of the time and has a reputations as a good defender. Butler is also a much better playmaker and can create his own shot whereas Jaylen is almost completely dependent on others to create for him unless he has a huge advantage like when teams throw their worst defenders at him because he's our 5th best player.

Tatum can come close to reaching peak PG13 but I doubt he can eclipse that because he lacks that elite athleticism. Still, that'll make him capable of making all-NBA 2nd team. Not quite good enough to carry a team to a championship but with some help he could be a #1 on a championship team. He's going to be an all-time great Celtic right up there with Russell, Cousy, Hondo, Bird, McHale, and Pierce. I just hope we can keep him here his whole career.

Tatum not athletic enough to be on the level of peak Paul George? Lol. Nonsense.

But anyway.. Jaylen is a better defender than you are giving him credit for. He can definitely get to Jimmys prime level. But I agree with the playmaking. That’s still an area Jaylen is developing in.. and maybe not at quickly as I envisioned coming out of college. But I’d disagree with Jaylen not being able to create his own shot. He’s been displaying that all season. He can get anywhere he wants to on the floor, and he’s starting to learn where his go-to shots are. He can also get to the basket at will, and is a much better finisher than his previous years. Jimmy was a 20, 5 and 3 player at age 25. Jaylen is a 20, 6 and 2 player at age 23. Not to mention Jaylen has a better shot than Jimmy had.

[Theocy]

His realistic ceiling would be PG. his absolute peak potential is a smaller sized Durant.

Anything below PG should be a disappointment. Everything between PG and KD level is super.

I've solved it for everyone

[exculpatory]

Paul was always a player that ranked higher in the 4th quarter and in clutch games or clutch situations over players that were traditionally ranked higher than him or voted to more all star games, or in fantasy leagues.

Very fair statement, councilman!
10 All Star Games really should have been 12-14 All Star Games.
In his prime years, Paul was Top 5-15 overall & much closer to Top 5 or even better in Q4, when it mattered & when clutchness was required!
As this board knows all too well, there is zero **** doubt in my mind that Paul Pierce was the most underrated quasi-Super Star of his generation. Hands down.
When he played VS Kobe, Vince, TMac & even LeBron, he either held his own or outplayed them.
Every one of those guys is on the record stating that Paul Pierce was just about the toughest mother **** they had to play against.

We call him The Truth today because he wore Kobe’s ass out one game lol. Shaq took a shot at Kobe with that one and we loved every moment. Paul always gained the respect of his peers.

At the end of the day, that is what really matters.

[Wes-J]

I've really gone back and forth with this since he was drafted. As a college prospect I honestly admit he was not all-star caliber but a very good player that averages 15ish, think Hedo Turkoglu. Please don't kill me.

Then after his rookie season I was convinced he had top ten potential but then came the sophomore season where his flaws were exposed and I was thinking more along the lines of a top 25-30 player at best. Now I've got him in the top 15 range with a good shot for top 10 but absolutely not top 5.

What some are missing is the fact that the top 5 guys are elite creators, not just for themselves but for their teammates. They see all the angles. They are a coaches worst nightmare because they make others better. Tatum hasn't shown that. He's the ultimate iso guy. Not particularly strong at the basket and must figure out a way to take advantage of getting to the line more.

His ceiling, don't kill me... I see Grant Hill with superior range. Sorry I don't get the Pierce comparisons at all. Pierce lived in the post and was a very strong finisher with that body of his he could absorb contact and power through anybody. Mid-range was elite and was a guy that could facilitate offense. Great emotional leader.

[exculpatory]

Pierce was more of a top 5-15 guy over a season, but he had the ability to be a top 3-5 player in the biggest games.

Which is the ultimate compliment, IMO.

Succinctly & precisely stated.

TRUUUUUTH!
I am definitely going to Springfield when he gets in the HOF.
Who wants to meet me there?

[Gomes3PC]

Remember when everyone freaked out to start the year on Tatum's awful finishing at the rim?

Yeah, he's now up to 60% from 0-3 feet.

He's just got to learn to grift a bit more. 2-3 more trips to the line a game and you are talking 2nd team All NBA caliber. Someone force him to live with Paul Pierce this summer.

[sam_I_am]

I've really gone back and forth with this since he was drafted. As a college prospect I honestly admit he was not all-star caliber but a very good player that averages 15ish, think Hedo Turkoglu. Please don't kill me.

Then after his rookie season I was convinced he had top ten potential but then came the sophomore season where his flaws were exposed and I was thinking more along the lines of a top 25-30 player at best. Now I've got him in the top 15 range with a good shot for top 10 but absolutely not top 5.

What some are missing is the fact that the top 5 guys are elite creators, not just for themselves but for their teammates. They see all the angles. They are a coaches worst nightmare because they make others better. Tatum hasn't shown that. He's the ultimate iso guy. Not particularly strong at the basket and must figure out a way to take advantage of getting to the line more.

His ceiling, don't kill me. I see Grant Hill with superior range. Sorry I don't get the Pierce comparisons at all. Pierce lived in the post and was a very strong finisher with that body of his he could absorb contact and power through anybody. Mid-range was elite and was a guy that could facilitate offense. Great emotional leader.

The comparison to Pierce I would make is this: Tatum is already a lot better than Pierce was at age 21. Nobody loved Pierce as a player early in his career more than me, so I don’t say this lightly. I think of peak Paul Pierce as his floor and he has already nearly reached that stage.

[Gomes3PC]

Regarding the Pierce comparisons:

1. Tatum is better at 21 than Pierce was

2. Pierce made MASSIVE leaps and bounds on his FT rate over his career that turned him from an All Star to a HoFer. His rookie year he was like Tatum, averaging around 4 FTs/g. In his prime he was 10-11/G.

If Tatum can learn how to draw fouls like Pierce did, he will be a top 10 player, honestly maybe even top 5 because I think he is a better defender than Truth.

[floyd]

I've really gone back and forth with this since he was drafted. As a college prospect I honestly admit he was not all-star caliber but a very good player that averages 15ish, think Hedo Turkoglu. Please don't kill me.

Then after his rookie season I was convinced he had top ten potential but then came the sophomore season where his flaws were exposed and I was thinking more along the lines of a top 25-30 player at best. Now I've got him in the top 15 range with a good shot for top 10 but absolutely not top 5.

What some are missing is the fact that the top 5 guys are elite creators, not just for themselves but for their teammates. They see all the angles. They are a coaches worst nightmare because they make others better. Tatum hasn't shown that. He's the ultimate iso guy. Not particularly strong at the basket and must figure out a way to take advantage of getting to the line more.

His ceiling, don't kill me. I see Grant Hill with superior range. Sorry I don't get the Pierce comparisons at all. Pierce lived in the post and was a very strong finisher with that body of his he could absorb contact and power through anybody. Mid-range was elite and was a guy that could facilitate offense. Great emotional leader.

The comparison to Pierce I would make is this: Tatum is already a lot better than Pierce was at age 21. Nobody loved Pierce as a player early in his career more than me, so I don’t say this lightly. I think of peak Paul Pierce as his floor and he has already nearly reached that stage.

It’s not all ability though so we’ll just have to see. He wasn’t a perfect player but Pierce was one of the toughest and most competitive guys I’ve ever seen. And he really evolved his game over time.

He became a better passer, was our best rebounder at times, and was a tenacious defender when called for. He really would do whatever was needed
the best he could (excluding a few ugly seasons when we sucked and he sulked).

I like Tatum a lot but I need to see him in some more wars and be more consistent before I can say “Pierce is his floor”. Talent is there no question.

[Wes-J]

I've really gone back and forth with this since he was drafted. As a college prospect I honestly admit he was not all-star caliber but a very good player that averages 15ish, think Hedo Turkoglu. Please don't kill me.

Then after his rookie season I was convinced he had top ten potential but then came the sophomore season where his flaws were exposed and I was thinking more along the lines of a top 25-30 player at best. Now I've got him in the top 15 range with a good shot for top 10 but absolutely not top 5.

What some are missing is the fact that the top 5 guys are elite creators, not just for themselves but for their teammates. They see all the angles. They are a coaches worst nightmare because they make others better. Tatum hasn't shown that. He's the ultimate iso guy. Not particularly strong at the basket and must figure out a way to take advantage of getting to the line more.

His ceiling, don't kill me. I see Grant Hill with superior range. Sorry I don't get the Pierce comparisons at all. Pierce lived in the post and was a very strong finisher with that body of his he could absorb contact and power through anybody. Mid-range was elite and was a guy that could facilitate offense. Great emotional leader.

The comparison to Pierce I would make is this: Tatum is already a lot better than Pierce was at age 21. Nobody loved Pierce as a player early in his career more than me, so I don’t say this lightly. I think of peak Paul Pierce as his floor and he has already nearly reached that stage.

Wow

[Curmudgeon]

When Pierce was 21 he was still at Kansas, so that's not a useful comparison.

[exculpatory]

I've really gone back and forth with this since he was drafted. As a college prospect I honestly admit he was not all-star caliber but a very good player that averages 15ish, think Hedo Turkoglu. Please don't kill me.

Then after his rookie season I was convinced he had top ten potential but then came the sophomore season where his flaws were exposed and I was thinking more along the lines of a top 25-30 player at best. Now I've got him in the top 15 range with a good shot for top 10 but absolutely not top 5.

What some are missing is the fact that the top 5 guys are elite creators, not just for themselves but for their teammates. They see all the angles. They are a coaches worst nightmare because they make others better. Tatum hasn't shown that. He's the ultimate iso guy. Not particularly strong at the basket and must figure out a way to take advantage of getting to the line more.

His ceiling, don't kill me. I see Grant Hill with superior range. Sorry I don't get the Pierce comparisons at all. Pierce lived in the post and was a very strong finisher with that body of his he could absorb contact and power through anybody. Mid-range was elite and was a guy that could facilitate offense. Great emotional leader.

The comparison to Pierce I would make is this: Tatum is already a lot better than Pierce was at age 21. Nobody loved Pierce as a player early in his career more than me, so I don’t say this lightly. I think of peak Paul Pierce as his floor and he has already nearly reached that stage.

It’s not all ability though so we’ll just have to see. He wasn’t a perfect player but Pierce was one of the toughest and most competitive guys I’ve ever seen. And he really evolved his game over time.

He became a better passer, was our best rebounder at times, and was a tenacious defender when called for. He really would do whatever was needed
the best he could (excluding a few ugly seasons when we sucked and he sulked).

I like Tatum a lot but I need to see him in some more wars and be more consistent before I can say “Pierce is his floor”. Talent is there no question.

THIS!
Sam’s comment at this point in JT’s evolution is patently absurd.

[exculpatory]

When Pierce was 21 he was still at Kansas, so that's not a useful comparison.

Nope, not useful.
Paul was drafted at ~age 20 years 8 months in 6/1998.
He was about to begin season #1 as a Celtic when he turned 21 on 10/13/1998.