Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has had himself quite the year.
For context, here’s what the 24-year-old has accomplished since the end of last NBA season:
- Career high PPG (26.9), RPG (8), and APG (4.4)
- Third All-Star Appearance
- First Team-All-NBA (2nd overall appearance)
- Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP Award Winner
- First NBA Finals appearance (hopefully of many)
As much sh*t as I can give Tatum on a night in and night out basis, he’s the Celtics leader and is poised to be a super star in this league for many many years to come.
As pessimistic as I can be, I try my hardest to defend Jayson Tatum every step of the way. He has potential out the rear and is destined to be a super star.
He’s also the reason they lost the NBA Finals.
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) June 17, 2022
What’s next for the young star? He now has the chance to be the cover athlete of NBA 2K23.
According to BetOnline.ag, Tatum has 6/1 odds to grace the cover. Here is their full list of odds:
NBA 2K23 Cover Athlete
Steph Curry +120
Ja Morant +150
Devin Booker +300
Jayson Tatum +600
Nikola Jokic +900
Joel Embiid +900
LaMelo Ball +2500
Trae Young +3300
Two of the three players ahead of Tatum – Steph Curry and Ja Morant – have certainly made a case for themselves to be on the cover. Devin Booker? Not so much. He’s great and all, but I would have expected Tatum to have better odds than the Suns guard.
Steph Curry just finished arguably his most impressive season as a pro, capping it off with his fourth NBA title in eight years. The 34-year-old is the greatest shooter in NBA history, is a top-10 player of all time, and he now has the chance to be the cover athlete on 2K for the second time in his career.
Ja Morant is coming off of two incredibly impressive seasons, having won the Rookie of the Year in 2021 and the Most Improved Player award in 2022. Morant led the Grizzlies to the playoffs for the second year in a row and brought them to their first Southwest division title in franchise history. He’s certainly deserving.
Frankly, it’s probably not Tatum’s time. 6/1 is a fun long-ish shot to take, but I’d expect Curry to be on the cover. +120 is a pretty sure bet to me.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @CelticsCLNS for the latest up-to-date Celtics news!
Also, be sure to check out our new sports betting Twitter account @CLNSBetting for all the latest odds and content from CLNS Media.
Use code CLNS50 for 50% off your first deposit at Betonline.ag.