Jayson Tatum reminds Paul Pierce of himself but way ahead of the game

Good news, everybody! Jayson Tatum is Paul Pierce 2.0. It's the truth, from the Truth himself.

In an interview with CSNNE, Pierce had some great things to say about the rookie:

"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

Pierce helped carry the Celtics to their last title in 2008, with an affinity to step up in the huge moments. That championship season came in Paul's ninth season, so if Tatum is just a bit behind that imagine what his ceiling is if Pierce is right?

We've already seen extremely similar play styles and a glimpse of a clutch gene in Jayson, and a lot of recognition for his potential... but this is the first time a Celtics legend has chimed in with such a glowing review. If he can live up to Pierce's legacy? The guy who's jersey is set to join other Celtics' legends in the rafters this season? The C's are set.

Alongside three All-Stars in Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford, and an otherwise incredibly young team, the future is insanely bright for Boston.

Now, all he's gotta do is deliver and banner 18 might be within reach sooner than we think.

Follow Topher Lane on Twitter, @Topher_L. Photo credit: Boston Celtics.