CelticsBlog · Apr 2, 2023
Carpenters and toolboxes: the Jayson Tatum / Lauri Markkanen debate
Lauri Markkanen scores at nearly the same rate as Jayson Tatum - 26.8 points per 36 minutes vs. 29.1 (per Basketball Reference), and he does so more efficiently, sporting an absurd 64.3% true shooting as compared to Tatum’s 60.1% mark.
Each player’s overall effect on their respective team’s offense has been similar this year. The Utah Jazz have averaged 119.3 points per 100 non-garbage-time possessions with Markkanen on the court, 5.6 points better than when he sits (per Cleaning the Glass). The Boston Celtics have scored 120.2 points per 100 in Tatum’s minutes, for an even more impressive +7.5 offensive on/off split.