Proof that Jayson Tatum is a dark horse MVP candidate

Jayson Tatum has led the Boston Celtics back into contention in the Eastern Conference and has emerged as an MVP candidate

Jayson Tatum has emerged as a dark horse MVP candidate following a difficult beginning to the 2021-2022 season. The young superstar has led the Celtics back into contention and they are currently one of the NBA's hottest teams. It has been quite the ride for JT this year but everything is starting to work out for the 24 year old.

“Don't Panic”

Just a couple of months ago it would have been hard to predict this kind of production from Tatum and the Celtics. The team was hovering around .500 in January and were narrowly hanging on to postseason hope in the East. In fact, a segment on ESPN in early January revolved around the discussion of the Celtics trading either Tatum or Brown. At the time, Boston held an underwhelming 18-21 record which placed them 11th in the East. Michael Wilbon embraced the idea of breaking Tatum and Brown up and stated that it was time for the Celtics to strike a deal before the trade deadline. But then former player Jalen Rose chipped in and echoed a sentiment that may have saved the Celtics season. Rose proclaimed, “don't panic.” He went onto discuss how breaking up Boston's star-studded duo would be the wrong move in the long run.

From the Trading Block to MVP Candidate

Rumors swirled even more as the trade deadline approached. There were many people around the league who expected one of the two stars to be dealt away and for Boston to enter a rebuilding phase. But the Celtics stood pat at the deadline and chose to keep Tatum and Brown together. How has that decision worked out for them? Boston has moved all the way up to fifth in the standings and they have won eight of their past ten games as of this story's publication.

Tatum is averaging over 26 points per game to go along with 8 rebounds and four assists per contest. He single-handedly led Boston to a home victory over the Nets on March 6th with 54 points on an impressive 16-30 shooting from the field and 8-15 shooting from beyond the arc. He also out-dueled the great Kevin Durant, who scored 37 points, to lead the Celtics to the win. The performance tied Celtic legend Larry Bird for the most career regular season games with 50 or more points with four. Tatum will likely set a new record in the near future given his youthful age of just 24.

This is the same player who's efficiency was being questioned earlier in the season. He has unquestionably shut down that narrative with his string of recent play. Tatum has scored more than 30 points in each of his past three games, all of which resulted in Celtics wins.

And that is the main difference in Tatum's performance this year. He is not just posting empty stat lines. His individual numbers are in direct correlation with Boston's strong performance. He is coming up clutch late in games and doing whatever is necessary for his team to win.

So is Tatum the MVP?

Joel Embiid is currently the front-runner in the MVP race according to odds presented by Yahoo. Players such as Nikola Jokic, DeMar DeRozan, Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and others are listed higher than Tatum as well. But the odds are not always telling of who is actually going to win. And we are only in March, so Tatum has some time to establish himself firmly in the race.

If Boston continues playing well and captures a top three spot in the East then Tatum's MVP odds will automatically increase. Tatum will also need to continue posting gaudy stat lines against talented rivals if he wishes to see his name rise in the rankings.

If the season ended today, Tatum would not win the MVP award. But we are labeling him as a dark horse for a reason. This is a player trending in the correct direction on a team that is winning on a consistent basis, and that is certainly a recipe for an MVP in the making. Boston has upcoming matchups with teams such as Dallas, Golden State, Denver and Miami this month. These are all contests where Tatum can prove his value to his team by leading Boston to victorious results.

Whether he wins the award or not Tatum and the Celtics turnaround from just a couple of months ago has been nothing short of remarkable. He has put the team on his back and led them back into contention.

They will be a team worth keeping an eye on in the East moving forward. Boston's next game is scheduled for Wednesday, March 9th in Charlotte against a pesky Hornets team.