While there may still be a debate over whether the pair can play together well enough to win on the league’s biggest stage in at least the eyes of a few, when it comes to the pecking order of wing players in the NBA next season, Boston Celtics All-NBA forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been rated fairly high by a new Bleacher Report assessment of the 30 best wings in the league, coming in at Nos. 1 and 7 respectively.
Only the Los Angeles Clippers with Paul George (sixth overall) and Kawhi Leonard (fifth overall) have comparable star power on the wing, and only a few other ball clubs (the Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, and Phoenix Suns) have multiple star-level wings at all.
Buy Celtics TicketsLet’s take a look at B/R’s assessments of Tatum and Brown.
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No. 7 - Jaylen Brown
“Boston doesn’t need Brown to usurp Jayson Tatum, but it does need the 26-year-old swingman to tighten his handle and progress as a playmaker,” writes Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley. “The grading curve is up for Brown due to his historic pay raise, but he can absolutely earn his keep.”
“Certain elements of his game need polishing, sure, but he is a relentless attacker with a typically reliable outside shot who can seamlessly shift through different defensive assignments.”
No. 1 - Jayson Tatum
“Jayson Tatum has taken his superstar ascension to such a towering height that very few rungs on the NBA ladder remain,” writes Buckley. “There just aren’t many boxes to check at this point, and the biggest ones—MVP honors and a championship—are now distinct possibilities in each season he plays.”
“He still has room to grow in terms of shooting efficiency and creating for others, but again, time is on his side. If he adds that final coat of polish over the course of this campaign, he could easily exit it as the top two-way talent in the game.”
