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Duke in the NBA: Jayson Tatum Bringing In Rookie Honors

By Kevin Connelly

BOSTON, MA - MAY 13: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates the basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on May 13, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 13: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates the basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on May 13, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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As the NBA postseason rolls on, the NBA is beginning to release the regular season honors and one Duke in the NBA player stands out among the recent honorees.

Jayson Tatum is a professional scorer, and there’s no debating that.

Throuhgouut the grueling 82-game regular season of the NBA, Tatum played in 80 games for the Boston Celtics, averaging 13.9 points per game.

However, Tatum has elevated his game in his first ever postseason, averaging 18.2 points over the 18 Celtics playoff games.

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The NBA released the selections to the All-Rookie Team and Jayson Tatum fell one vote shy of being a unanimous First Team selection.

Tatum joins Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell, Kyle Kuzma, and Lauri Markkanen on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Tatum, along with Simmons and Mitchell were the three selections for Rookie of the Year. All three rookies were sensational all season long, leading their respective teams to the playoffs, but only one is still standing, and that is Tatum.

The NBA Rookie of the Year Award is based on the regular season and Simmons and Mitchell are considered by many to be the frontrunners for the award, with Tatum as a distant third.

Ben Simmons was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft but after sitting out all of last season with a foot injury, this 2017-18 season is considered his “rookie year”.

Simmons averaged 15.8 points per game in the regular season and 16.3 points in the playoffs. Simmons played in 81 of a possible 82 regular season games, also not missing a postseason game for the Philadelphia 76ers.

On the other hand, Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum matched up in college with Mitchell being drafted by the Denver Nuggets out of Louisville but was traded on draft night to the Utah Jazz.

Mitchell was selected No. 13 overall and averaged 20.5 points per game in the regular season while putting up a scorching 24.4 points per game in the postseason.

As the only major impact rookie left standing, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics will look to eliminate LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavilers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight in Boston.

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