As far as small forwards in the NBA go, Boston Celtics star swingman Jayson Tatum is as close to the top of the mountain as one can get without actually being at the summit according to a new ranking assessment by the folks at CBS Sports.
The St. Louis native checked in as the No. 2 overall small forward in the league in the assessment, just ahead of Miami Heat veteran Jimmy Butler, and just behind Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard. “Coming off a career season in which he made his first All-NBA First Team appearance and led the Celtics to the Finals for the first time in over a decade, Tatum has firmly established himself as one of the league’s best players,” writes Jack Maloney.
“The perfect modern wing, he can score at all three levels, has improved as a playmaker (though he still has room to grow there), and is a high-level defender both on and off the ball,” he adds.
We think the assessment is apropos for Tatum, though we’d have given the Duke product the top spot over Leonard simply because we have seen him play at a high level for some time.
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Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire
