Jayson caught the league's eye early in the season due to his average 47% three-point percentage from October through December. However, when looking at his 13.9 PPG, 5 REB, and 1.6 AST total averages for the whole season, Tatum was not necessarily a no-brainer Rookie of the Year Candidate to the casual fan.
Two other young stars were Philadelphia 76ers Guard Ben Simmons and Utah Jazz Guard Donovan Mitchell, who both received more attention due to triple-doubles and volume scoring respectively. Not to discredit Jayson's highlight handles and flashes of scoring ease, but during the regular season there was a noticeable degree of separation between Tatum, Simmons, and Mitchell.