Jayson Tatum or Paolo Banchero: Who’s had a better Round 1?

The first round series between the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic has been dominated by either teams' stars.

Disregarding Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Franz Wagner who have all performed well for their squads, the leaders of the series have been the stars - Paolo Banchero and Jayson Tatum. After playing a lackluster Game 1 and missing Game 2 with an injury, Tatum took over the series for the C's in Games 3-4.

Playing with an intensity that felt absent in Game 1, the 27-year-old averaged 36.5 points in Orlando. He looked unfazed from the bone bruise in his shooting wrist.

The Celtics lost Game 3, but that was more due to a lack of help from Tatum's supporting cast. In fact, he almost singlehandedly willed the team to victory. Tatum carried the strong play into Game 4, with 42 minutes of play and registering 37 points.

Banchero has been just as meaningful for the Magic - if not more. Playing over 40 minutes in all four games of the series, the 22-year-old has averaged 32 points per game. Often when Banchero has the ball in his hand, it seems almost guaranteed that he will score - especially from three, where the 6-foot-10 forward is shooting 44 percent.

On balance, Banchero has probably had the better series between the two, but Tatum may have been more impactful. Although Banchero has played all four games of the series, for the most part his efforts have been for not, as the Magic have only won one game. Conversely, Tatum - who, again, was quiet in Game 1 and missed Game 2 - was the main reason the Celtics won Game 4 and nearly won Game 3.

Both guys have done it themselves in games for their teams, and both have been stellar. Who's been better? Banchero has been more consistent, but he hasn't gotten the results. Tatum was key for the Celtics in Orlando, and had a huge overall impact.

Regardless, both stars have been elite during round one. It is fair to expect that the performance of both Banchero and Tatum will again be paramount for their squads in Game 5, as the Celtics look to close out the Magic on home court.

Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.