Jayson Tatum, according to ESPN’s annual “NBA Rank” top 10 list released Thursday morning, is only the ninth best player in the league heading into the season. Ninth! That’s the cold, hard take from those rankings, and frankly, it feels like a total miss when you really look at what Tatum brings to the court. Sure, Nikola Jokic took the top spot, and Victor Wembanyama is right there at No. 2, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 3. Those three feel like a solid top tier for now, but then things get real murky, real fast, right before Tatum.
The List Has Some Seriously Questionable Placements
Let’s break down who ESPN thinks is better than Tatum. Luka Doncic is at No. 4, but with that kind of defense, is he really? Giannis Antetokounmpo clocks in at No. 5, and yeah, he’s a beast, but he’s still playing without a consistent jump shot. Jalen Brunson had an amazing run and he’s elite, absolutely, but Tatum over Brunson any day. Then you’ve got Anthony Edwards at No. 7, who can score in bunches, but seventh feels like a massive stretch. Cade Cunningham, a bright star for sure, sits at No. 8, still with plenty of room to grow. And then, finally, at No. 9, it’s Tatum, barely ahead of Donovan Mitchell. Seriously, how did they land here? These lists are supposed to spark debate, but this one just feels genuinely wrong, like they are trying to stir the pot a little too hard.
Tatum’s All-Around Game Deserves Way More Respect
The real kicker here is Tatum’s versatility, a trait that makes him second only to Wembanyama among the top nine. Think about it: how many of those guys ahead of him can actually match Tatum’s jump shot? You’ve got Wemby, Jokic, SGA, Doncic, Brunson, Steph Curry (who is way better, obviously) and Edwards. That’s a decent group, and maybe that’s why Tatum got dropped to ninth. But let’s flip it. How many of those guys can rebound at Tatum’s level? Only Wemby, Jokic, and Giannis are in that conversation. What about passing? Just Jokic, Doncic, Brunson, Curry, and Cunningham. And defense? Wembanyama is better, Giannis is great but not getting any younger, and you can argue Edwards and Cunningham, but they’re a notch below. When you really boil it down, the only players among that top nine who truly excel in all four categories,shooting, rebounding, passing, and defending,are Wembanyama and Tatum. He’s not on Wemby’s level yet, but he’s the only other guy who genuinely dominates in every single facet of the game.
Other Celtics did make the top 100, with Derrick White at 47, Paul George at 67, and Payton Pritchard at 70. Jaylen Brown landed at 14th, and Neemias Queta even got an honorable mention for 2027. But honestly, the bigger story is Tatum at nine. This ranking is a huge statement, and you gotta believe Tatum will be using it as pure fuel all season long. Let’s see how that looks on the court.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
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