NBA First Team: Tatum or Edwards?

[Moranis]

Well MVP voting is out and Tatum finished 6th.  Jokic, SGA, Luka, Giannis, and Brunson were top 5.  I still expect Tatum on 1st Team All NBA though ahead of Brunson.

[michigan adam]

Luka p---es me off.  Such a 1 dimensional player.  So over rated!

[dannyboy35]

Luka p---es me off.  Such a 1 dimensional player.  So over rated!

😳  look at his team. Nobody could take a weak team further.

[keevsnick]

I know a lot of Celtics fans probably feel people putting Edwards over Tatum is disrespectful or something, but the truth is this is just sort of how sports work. The newest thing will always get the attention.

An awesome player on a team winning every playoff game by 25 who's been great for like 4 years is just less compelling a story for drawing eyeballs then a guy ascending on a team that has stunk for 20+ years.

My take: Tatum is better, you need more than 6 games to get passed when you have the playoff resume Tatum has. Does Edwards have a chance to be better than Tatum? Sure. But he's not yet.

[W8ting2McHale]

I know a lot of Celtics fans probably feel people putting Edwards over Tatum is disrespectful or something, but the truth is this is just sort of how sports work. The newest thing will always get the attention.

An awesome player on a team winning every playoff game by 25 who's been great for like 4 years is just less compelling a story for drawing eyeballs then a guy ascending on a team that has stunk for 20+ years.

My take: Tatum is better, you need more than 6 games to get passed when you have the playoff resume Tatum has. Does Edwards have a chance to be better than Tatum? Sure. But he's not yet.

Edwards caught the eye of the media during his FIBA performance last summer. He got amped further after the All-Star game. Every dunk the last month of the season was either “put him on a poster” or the “dunk of the year.” Meanwhile, Tatum was chilling on a team that had already wrapped things up and was getting ready for the playoffs.

Ant has been more productive offensively than Tatum and just about every other player except for Brunson, so he stands out. 40 points will always be a headline.

Highlight dunks and a cool name has raised his profile a lot. If he were Tony Edwards or Chuck Edwards (his full name is Anthony Charles Edwards) instead of Ant, would he have the same appeal?

To me he’s just filling the void left by Ja Morant. Star scoring with athletic dunks on a mid-market team.

[Who]

Playoff Stats

Anthony Edwards

32.3ppg 6.8rpg 5.8apg 1.8spg 0.8bpg
54.7% FG% 41.9% 3PT% 81.9% FT% 65.8% TS%
7.3 FTAs on 21.3 FGAs. 7.2 3PTAs. 3.5 TOVs.

Jayson Tatum

21.2ppg 10.5rpg 5.3apg 0.3spg 1.0bpg
40.6% FG% 25% 3PT% 81.6% FT% 54% TS%
8.2 FTAs on only 16 FGAs. 6 3PTAs. Only 1.7 TOVs.


Ant is killing it in the playoffs. Those scoring numbers both in terms of volume and efficiency are incredible. He is playing strong two way basketball as well. Facilitating the offense with his passing also. Great all-round performances.

Tatum struggling with his shot but otherwise playing great. Doing a fantastic job of getting to the FT line to make up for his lousy shooting numbers. Excellent rebounding, passing and team defense.

[keevsnick]

Playoff Stats

Anthony Edwards

32.3ppg 6.8rpg 5.8apg 1.8spg 0.8bpg
54.7% FG% 41.9% 3PT% 81.9% FT% 65.8% TS%
7.3 FTAs on 21.3 FGAs. 7.2 3PTAs. 3.5 TOVs.

Jayson Tatum

21.2ppg 10.5rpg 5.3apg 0.3spg 1.0bpg
40.6% FG% 25% 3PT% 81.6% FT% 54% TS%
8.2 FTAs on only 16 FGAs. 6 3PTAs. Only 1.7 TOVs.


Ant is killing it in the playoffs. Those scoring numbers both in terms of volume and efficiency are incredible. He is playing strong two way basketball as well. Facilitating the offense with his passing also. Great all-round performances.

Tatum struggling with his shot but otherwise playing great. Doing a fantastic job of getting to the FT line to make up for his lousy shooting numbers. Excellent rebounding, passing and team defense.

I just sort of think there's more to "who's better" than six playoff games 4 of them against a sixth seed with no good perimeter defenders or rim protection. Say what you will about Tatum but I've watched that guy drop 40+ points in multiple do or die game 6/7.

Ant is really good at just 22, he COULD pass Tatum, he hasn't yet.

[SparzWizard]

Ant-Man gets the nod right now

[Wretch]

Luka p---es me off.  Such a 1 dimensional player.  So over rated!

😳  look at his team. Nobody could take a weak team further.

Isn't Luka part of the reason the team is weak?  Couldn't/wouldn't play with KP, GW (he's annoying but a good player) and/or Brunson.  He's gotten coaches fired. They've traded assets/players to bring in players to keep him happy so they have very little depth.

The DAL FO has definitely made some questionable moves and deserves the bulk of the blame for the roster but Luka has definitely been part of the problem.
 

[Muzzy66]

Tatum easily.

If All-NBA was awarded based on playoff performance so far then for sure Ant would be the leader, but it's based on the regular season. 

Tatum outdid Edwards in thge regular season in pretty much every single statistical category AND was also the best player on the mos dominate team in the league.  No brainer. 

[celticsclay]

Luka p---es me off.  Such a 1 dimensional player.  So over rated!

😳  look at his team. Nobody could take a weak team further.

Isn't Luka part of the reason the team is weak?  Couldn't/wouldn't play with KP, GW (he's annoying but a good player) and/or Brunson.  He's gotten coaches fired. They've traded assets/players to bring in players to keep him happy so they have very little depth.

The DAL FO has definitely made some questionable moves and deserves the bulk of the blame for the roster but Luka has definitely been part of the problem.

I don’t really understand the hate for the Dallas roster. Adding Gafford and Washington really improved them. Irving has been playing at an all star level and very focused. Lively was a very nice pick. Do they need to have 3 all stars or something?

[Who]

Luka p---es me off.  Such a 1 dimensional player.  So over rated!

😳  look at his team. Nobody could take a weak team further.

Isn't Luka part of the reason the team is weak?  Couldn't/wouldn't play with KP, GW (he's annoying but a good player) and/or Brunson.  He's gotten coaches fired. They've traded assets/players to bring in players to keep him happy so they have very little depth.

The DAL FO has definitely made some questionable moves and deserves the bulk of the blame for the roster but Luka has definitely been part of the problem.

I don’t really understand the hate for the Dallas roster. Adding Gafford and Washington really improved them. Irving has been playing at an all star level and very focused. Lively was a very nice pick. Do they need to have 3 all stars or something?

Gafford & PJ Washington aren't that good. They are serviceable. Not much more than that. They are both probably in the bottom third of starters at the center and power forward position respectively. Same with Derrick Jones Jr. Their other starter.

[Moranis]

Luka p---es me off.  Such a 1 dimensional player.  So over rated!

😳  look at his team. Nobody could take a weak team further.

Isn't Luka part of the reason the team is weak?  Couldn't/wouldn't play with KP, GW (he's annoying but a good player) and/or Brunson.  He's gotten coaches fired. They've traded assets/players to bring in players to keep him happy so they have very little depth.

The DAL FO has definitely made some questionable moves and deserves the bulk of the blame for the roster but Luka has definitely been part of the problem.

I don’t really understand the hate for the Dallas roster. Adding Gafford and Washington really improved them. Irving has been playing at an all star level and very focused. Lively was a very nice pick. Do they need to have 3 all stars or something?

Gafford & PJ Washington aren't that good. They are serviceable. Not much more than that. They are both probably in the bottom third of starters at the center and power forward position respectively. Same with Derrick Jones Jr. Their other starter.

But they are excellent fits next to Luka.  It took Dallas some time, but they seemingly finally understand what type of players they need to put next to Luka to maximize him and it has worked.

And I really don't get the narrative that Luka made Brunson and KP worse.  I mean Brunson's best overall shooting season he was in Dallas with a TS% of 61.8.  He has a lot more touches now and is the lead guy, so his totals are way up, but he was in general a very similar player in Dallas.  KP certainly was more efficient this year than he was in Dallas, but his overall production has been similar with slight upticks every year i.e. he was a bit more productive in Dallas than in NY, a bit more productive in Washington than Dallas, and a bit more productive in Boston than Washington.  Luka and KP didn't get along off the court, but on the court the production was fine, when KP was actually healthy enough to play (another issue with KP).  And Brunson just wanted a team of his own.  That happens all of the time (including with Luka's current best running mate - though that was an epic disaster unlike Brunson). 

[keevsnick]

Luka p---es me off.  Such a 1 dimensional player.  So over rated!

😳  look at his team. Nobody could take a weak team further.

Isn't Luka part of the reason the team is weak?  Couldn't/wouldn't play with KP, GW (he's annoying but a good player) and/or Brunson.  He's gotten coaches fired. They've traded assets/players to bring in players to keep him happy so they have very little depth.

The DAL FO has definitely made some questionable moves and deserves the bulk of the blame for the roster but Luka has definitely been part of the problem.

I don’t really understand the hate for the Dallas roster. Adding Gafford and Washington really improved them. Irving has been playing at an all star level and very focused. Lively was a very nice pick. Do they need to have 3 all stars or something?

Gafford & PJ Washington aren't that good. They are serviceable. Not much more than that. They are both probably in the bottom third of starters at the center and power forward position respectively. Same with Derrick Jones Jr. Their other starter.

But they are excellent fits next to Luka.  It took Dallas some time, but they seemingly finally understand what type of players they need to put next to Luka to maximize him and it has worked.

And I really don't get the narrative that Luka made Brunson and KP worse.  I mean Brunson's best overall shooting season he was in Dallas with a TS% of 61.8.  He has a lot more touches now and is the lead guy, so his totals are way up, but he was in general a very similar player in Dallas.  KP certainly was more efficient this year than he was in Dallas, but his overall production has been similar with slight upticks every year i.e. he was a bit more productive in Dallas than in NY, a bit more productive in Washington than Dallas, and a bit more productive in Boston than Washington.  Luka and KP didn't get along off the court, but on the court the production was fine, when KP was actually healthy enough to play (another issue with KP).  And Brunson just wanted a team of his own.  That happens all of the time (including with Luka's current best running mate - though that was an epic disaster unlike Brunson).

Luka in no way made Brunson or KP worse. KP is a much different player than he was in Dallas because he finally figured out how to punish post mismatches when he played for the Wizards. He didn't have that skill in Dallas. And Brunson has improved massively since his Dallas days as well.

[LilRip]

Having had both players on their fantasy roster, Tatum had a better season than Antman. The only reason anyone would choose Antman on first team over Tatum is because of optics.