What’s the road map for Jayson Tatum to win MVP? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Jayson Tatum finds himself in the NBA MVP conversation about halfway through the 2022-23 season, but he won’t have a shortage of competition for the award.
He’ll face off against the MVP favorite Luka Doncic on Thursday night when the Boston Celtics visit the Dallas Mavericks. Also currently in the mix for the award are Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Denver Nuggets reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant and Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid.
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As of Wednesday, Tatum is averaging a career-high 30.8 points and 8.1 rebounds through 36 games while leading the C’s to an NBA-best 26-12 record. If Tatum keeps up this pace and Boston can stay on top of the Eastern Conference, he should be among the MVP finalists in June.
So what does Tatum need to do in order to separate himself from the pack? ESPN’s Tim MacMahon joined Chris Forsberg on a new episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast to share his thoughts on Tatum’s MVP candidacy.
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“I don’t think it’s just Luka. I think there’s five guys that Tatum’s competing against,” MacMahon said. “And Tatum is averaging a pretty efficient 30-plus points per game, but he’s not going to have the prettiest numbers. He’s just not. He might end up being sixth in terms of just the pure stats.
“So I think the Celtics probably have to have the best overall record. If they have the best overall record, he’s putting up 30-plus points per game pretty efficiently, the voters should understand that he is a two-way player. That he’s making an impact on the defensive end of the floor. Then I think he’ll have a legitimate chance. …
“Honestly though, I might put him sixth out of the six guys I consider real candidates just because all those other guys put up stats that are just bonkers.”
Also discussed in the episode: What’s the outside perspective of the Celtics? Are the C’s closer to the 21-5 team or the 8-8 one? And how Luka Doncic is a combination between James Harden and Larry Bird.
Check out the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network or watch it on YouTube below.