NBA assistant believes Celtics could have NBA’s greatest participant in 2030

“He is what everybody needs they’ve: A 6-foot-10 man who shoots 3s, will get to the rim and will get fouled.”

Jayson Tatum is on the mend from a ruptured Achilles tendon. AP Picture/Charles Krupa

Jayson Tatum is observing an extended street to restoration as he works his means again from a ruptured Achilles tendon.

However even when the Celtics star ahead may miss the whole 2025-26 season as a result of his damage, one NBA assistant coach believes that Tatum gained’t miss a step as soon as he does make his means again out on the parquet.

As a part of an nameless NBA offseason survey, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps requested who would be the greatest participant within the NBA in 2030.

The total outcomes?

Victor Wembanyama: 16
Luka Doncic: 2
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 1
Jayson Tatum: 1

Whereas it ought to come as little shock that many anticipate the 21-year-old Wembanyama to proceed to ascend as one in every of basketball’s greats, one nameless assistant coach within the Western Convention believes the perfect is but to return for Tatum.

“There’s nobody that has that shot profile,” the assistant advised Bontemps of Tatum’s skillset. “He’s what everybody needs they’ve: A 6-foot-10 man who shoots 3s, will get to the rim and will get fouled.”

Tatum’s versatile offensive skillset, which doesn’t essentially revolve round explosive athleticism, ought to stay intact as soon as he does return to the court docket.

Nonetheless, Tatum might conceivably begin to enter the tail finish of his prime years by 2030 — as he’ll be 32 years outdated that season.

Nonetheless, Kevin Durant’s restoration from a torn Achilles from 2019-20 ought to function hope that Tatum’s standing as one of many high scorers within the league will proceed in 2026 and past.

Durant missed the whole 2019-20 season after tearing his Achilles within the 2019 NBA Finals that June. However after getting cleared for recreation motion, Durant has averaged 27.9 factors per recreation over the past 5 years.

Tatum, who averaged 26.8 factors, 6.0 assists and eight.7 rebounds per recreation final season with the Celtics, presently has no concrete timeline for return to recreation motion.