Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum may only be an incoming rookie, but as Celtics legend Paul Pierce told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England, the Truth already sees a maturity in Tatum's game that reminds him of himself, only at a more advanced stage in his career.
"When I'm watching him, he looks like a mature version of my game, like my 6th, 7th, 8th year."- @paulpierce34 on @jaytatum0. More to come.
— A. Sherrod Blakely (@ASherrodblakely) September 14, 2017
Tatum did draw comparisons to Pierce during the draft process as they do share a similar build and are both not the most athletic or physically gifted wings. And like Pierce, Tatum has terrific footwork and a polished all-around offensive game, which he has honed to make up for his lack of elite athleticism. He even showed he had a bit of The Truth’s clutch gene when he sank a game-winner against the Sixers in his Summer League debut.
The 19-year-old Tatum has a lot to live up to during his rookie season. Danny Ainge decided to trade away the No. 1 overall pick to go down to No. 3 as he believed Tatum was potentially as good or better than the consensus top pick, Markelle Fultz. Now, he’s got The Truth saying he sees himself at his prime when he watches Tatum.
It just speaks to Tatum’s talent that a couple of Celtics legends think so highly of him. After Jae Crowder was included as part of the Isaiah Thomas-Kyrie Irving trade, Tatum will likely have a much bigger role with the Celtics this season, and he should have more opportunities to show he's worth the hype.
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