NBA: In-Depth Cases For the Top 3 Candidates

#3 Tatum is statistically the best two-way rookie we've seen in quite some time

Tatum drives against Otto Porter Jr.

Jarrett Allen is probably the best shotblocker among rookies this season. Ben Simmons has the highest number of steals. Lonzo Ball is probably the best all-around defender. Donovan Mitchell is the scoring leader. Simmons and Ball are both elite assist men who are point guards. And yet, Tatum is the only rookie to figure in the top 16 among all these categories - he's definitely up there with Lonzo among the best defenders in this rookie class.

His defensive numbers bear out this notion. Tatum has the third-best defensive rating among rookies playing 15 or more minutes per game this season at 100.4 points conceded per 100 possessions. He ranks first among qualified rookies in defensive win shares per 36 minutes and also ranks 2nd in total defensive win shares this season with 4.0 so far.

The eye test says the same thing. We've seen Tatum guard 6'11" Simmons, but we've also seen him take up Chris Paul and James Harden on switches at various points in the Rockets-Celtics matchups. This dude has the ability to guard up to 4 positions on the floor, what with his 7-foot wingspan and impressive foot speed.

Tatum has the genuine ability to impact the game in every possible way that does or does not count among the major statistical categories. The importance of this special skill level cannot be emphasized enough. Tatum could easily emerge as the next great two-way swingman to take the league by storm like Paul George, Jimmy Butler, and teammate Gordon Hayward have in this decade of NBA basketball.

Note: We take a look at 3 arguments for Ben Simmons as Rookie of the Year from the next slide onwards