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Basketball writer/podcaster Bill Simmons lost some fans in Denver, Colorado, with his recent hot take. During a live episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” from the Fillmore Auditorium in the mile-high city, the well-known pundit compared Nuggets star Nikola Jokic to Celtics star Jayson Tatum. This bold claim comes at a time when the Nuggets legend is being compared to the likes of Michael Jordan during this season.
However, Simmons argued that Tatum could pass the three-time MVP as the best player in the 2020s.
“He's (Nikola Jokic) kind of clinched the best guy of the 2020s title. I don't know who can make a run at him in the second half if you just look at the candidates. Like the resume he already has if he were to have won four MVPs. Like who would be able to match that in the second half of the decade? The only guy that I think could be in the running is my guy, Jayson Tatum. Yeah, I said it, and I'm getting booed. Just if the Celtics won a bunch of titles, that's it. But I don't think that's going to happen.”
Bill Simmons probably wasn't being serious, but this is still a rough take
While the Boston Celtics winning more titles this decade is possible, Jayson Tatum's chances of passing Nikola Jokic to be the best player of the 2020s are closer to none than slim. A much more reasonable person to compare the Nuggets star to would be Giannis Antetokounmpo. Like Jokic, the Bucks' star has multiple MVPs, a ring, and a Finals MVP.
Giannis and Nikola are also high on all-time great basketball lists and are battling for the title of “European GOAT.” Jayson Tatum, on the other hand, has never been considered the best player in the world. The five-time all-star is terrific but has sometimes been considered the second-best player on the Celtics. Even though Tatum is Boston's top dog, the fact that this is a debate raises eyebrows.
In addition, Jaylen Brown, Boston's second-best player, won Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP. Tatum, compared to Jokic, comes up short in many accolades and statistical categories. The “Joker” ranks first all-time in the NBA in player efficiency rating. Tatum, on the other hand, ranks 76th in this category, whereas Giannis comes in at eighth.
One of the elements that makes the Celtics so great is their balance. This team can have anyone in its starting five lead the team in scoring on a given night. While that's great for the franchise, it also shows the lack of pressure Tatum is under to produce consistently. Explaining why the Celtics won the finals 4-1 over the Dallas Mavericks while their superstar averaged 22.2/7.8/7.2 on 38.8% shooting from the field and 26.3% from three-point range.
Overall, there is no debate on whether Jayson Tatum or Nikola Jokic will be the best player of this decade. However, to prevent the Celtics from winning more titles, the Nuggets' front office must help their superstar. Jokic is having the best year of his career so far, averaging 30.1/13.0/10.4. Despite this historic start, Denver is 11-8 in a crowded Western Conference. If the Nuggets want to get back into championship form, the supporting cast needs to give more support to the face of the franchise.
