The race for NBA MVP is more competitive than it has been in years but no one can deny that Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics is definitely in contention for the honor.
Although names like Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers get the most consideration by the media, Tatum has been quietly putting together a stellar MVP season.
Jayson Tatum MVP case:
— 27.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG (career highs)
— Leads NBA in total points
— Leads NBA in +/-
— Best record in East
— Best point differential in East
— Best point differential in 2022
— Best defense in NBA
— Celtics 22-5 when he scores 30+ pic.twitter.com/94Ex9VZ5nz— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 28, 2022
StatMuse points out all the highlights of Tatum’s career.
He’s got 27.1 points per game as well as 8.1 rebounds too.
He leads the league in total points and his plus-minus score.
He also has the best record in the East, the best point differential in the East, and the best defense in the East.
As for his team, they have gone 22-5 when he scores more than thirty points.
Can we finally call him a top-tier player?
Boston On Top
The Celtics are currently tied for the top spot in the East after months and months of playing unevenly and inconsistently.
They are finally the team they promised they would be.
A huge part of that is due to Tatum, who has been delivering this next-level side of himself for most of the season.
He’s not alone of course, he’s surrounded by terrific players.
But Tatum is quickly becoming the star player and leader of the squad and a hero that all of Boston’s fanbase can rally behind.
It’s because Tatum fits so effortlessly with the rest of his team that he might end up losing the MVP competition.
He doesn’t dominate on the floor in the same explosive ways that Jokic or Embiid do.
In many ways, he’s not as flashy as those guys.
But you can’t ignore the cold hard facts and they prove that Tatum is the strongest player on the Celtics and one of the strongest players in the entire league.
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