This news may already be out there, but Jayson Tatum has looked good in NBA Summer League play thus far.
Coupled with the anticipated progression of second-year pro/kids-table-party-thrower/people’s champ Jaylen Brown, the performance that Tatum has turned in (18.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in Utah; 19.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in Vegas) has created a hype train so loud that within a few days Celtics fans might need a reminder that the team also signed Gordon Hayward this offseason.
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Naturally, the reaction to any strong Summer League performance is to say it doesn’t matter because it’s Summer League. That’s why the responses to this brilliant tweet were an absolute tire fire.
But can Summer League prowess be an indication of things to come in the coming regular season? In the case of Celtics players, the answer is a resounding “not really.”
Of the team’s top Summer League performers since 2010, only Kelly Olynyk in 2014 (his second Summer League stint) went on to average 10 or more points per game that regular season.
Boston Celtics
Especially in the case of what’s become an increasingly deep (and contending) Celtics team, the minutes simply haven’t been there for rookies and second-year players in the regular season.
Still, as you’ll see below, Tatum’s numbers are better than theirs. Here’s a look at those performers.
Terry Rozier, 2016
SUMMER LEAGUE: 3 GP, 21.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.0 APG (Vegas)
3 GP, 19.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.0 APG (Utah)
REGULAR SEASON: 74 GP, 17.1 MIN, 5.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.8 APG
Jaylen Brown, 2015
SUMMER LEAGUE: 5 GP, 16.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.2 APG (Vegas)
1 GP, 16.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.0 APG (Utah)
REGULAR SEASON: 78 GP, 17.2 MIN, 6.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.8 APG
Terry Rozier, 2015
SUMMER LEAGUE: 3 GP, 12.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.7 APG (Utah)
5 GP, 12.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 4.0 APG (Vegas)
REGULAR SEASON: 39 GP, 8.0 MIN, 1.8 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.9 APG
Marcus Smart, 2015
SUMMER LEAGUE: 2 GP, 24.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 7.5 APG (Utah)
3 GP, 10.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 2.0 APG (Vegas)
REGULAR SEASON: 61 GP, 27.3 MIN, 9.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.0 APG
Kelly Olynyk, 2014
SUMMER LEAGUE: 4 GP, 17.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.0 APG (Orlando)
REGULAR SEASON: 64 GP, 22.3 MIN, 10.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.7 APG
Marcus Smart, 2014
SUMMER LEAGUE: 5 GP, 14.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.2 APG (Orlando)
REGULAR SEASON: 67 GP, 27.0 MIN, 7.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.1 APG
Kelly Olynyk, 2013
SUMMER LEAGUE: 5 GP, 18.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.4 APG (Vegas)
REGULAR SEASON: 70 GP, 20.0 MIN, 8.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.6 APG
Jared Sullinger, 2012
SUMMER LEAGUE: 4 GP, 13.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1 APG (Orlando)
5 GP, 11.2 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 0.4 APG (Vegas)
REGULAR SEASON: 45 GP, 19.8 MIN, 6.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 0.8 APG
E’Twaun Moore, 2012
SUMMER LEAGUE: 5 GP, 13.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.8 APG (Orlando)
2 GP, 17 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2 APG (Vegas)
REGULAR SEASON: 38 GP, 8.7 MIN, 2.9 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.9 APG
Luke Harangody, 2010
SUMMER LEAGUE: 5 GP, 16.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.6 APG (Orlando)
REGULAR SEASON: 28 GP, 8.6 MIN, 2.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.4 APG (traded to Cavaliers mid-season)
Of course, none of these players (perhaps with the exception of Brown) had the pedigree that Tatum has. Tatum was chosen with the third overall pick with the expectation that he would be a star offensively. He’s certainly been that in the summer league, but between having to fight for minutes and the C’s already having their top two scorers already established, no one actually expects Tatum’s eye-opening performance to be repeated in the regular season just yet.