There has been a growing level of excitement around Boston Celtics rookie forward Jayson Tatum in the months that have followed the 2017 NBA Draft.

According to Jay King of MassLive.com, Tatum has already left a huge impression on former All-Star big man Al Horford to voice some huge praise toward the 19-year-old ahead of his first season.

Much of this buzz around Tatum stems around his strong performance from the Las Vegas Summer League where he was a major factor offensively where he averaged 17.7 points in three games played. What was most encouraging was his high level of confidence in his ability to create his own shot.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Jayson Tatum, Celtics, Tatum Celtics, Tatum cluch, Jrue Holiday

Jackson Stone ·

[NBA awards] Nikola Jokic next to Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, Jalen Brunson, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Brett Siegel ·

Blake Griffin with Celtics players telling him to come back before retirement.

Daniel Donabedian ·

Although his offensive impact in his rookie campaign will be limited due to the talent at the small forward position on the team with the likes of Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown, he could still quickly etch out a significant role off the bench. His ability to put the ball in the basket could make a valuable piece in the second unit as one of the primary scoring options.

More importantly, Tatum could become a huge piece of the long-term future as he further develops in his NBA career to help keep the Celtics in the championship picture.