Here Are The 8 Stars Ahead of Jayson Tatum in ESPN's Best Player Rankings image
Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum now knows where he stands in ESPN's eyes.
ESPN wrapped up its NBA Rank on Thursday by revealing its top 10 players for the upcoming season. Tatum landed at No. 9.
Here are the eight stars ESPN ranked ahead of Tatum:
Nikola Jokic
Victor Wembanyama
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Luka Doncic
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Jalen Brunson
Anthony Edwards
Cade Cunningham
Tatum was not included in ESPN's NBA Rank last season because he was expected to miss most of the season with an Achilles injury.
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As part of its analysis, ESPN had one big question for each player in the top 10. For Tatum, that question was whether his ceiling is still as high following his injury.
"Tatum was good in his limited playing time last season," wrote ESPN's Zach Kram. "But he was far more than merely good before his Achilles tear.
"For four consecutive seasons prior to the injury, Tatum was a first-team All-NBA selection, which is the level that most championship teams need from their No. 1 options. If Tatum can't return to that level, the Celtics likely won't have enough top-tier star power to return to the Finals. But if Tatum returns to MVP contender status, Boston will be right back in the title mix."
Tatum appeared in 16 games last season, averaging 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He wasn't as efficient as normal, shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from 3-point range.
Tatum played in six of Boston's seven games against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs. He missed Game 7 because of knee stiffness.
With Jaylen Brown gone from the Celtics, there will be even more pressure on Tatum to return to his pre-injury form.
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