Pierce has high praise for rookie Tatum


Paul Peirce recently had a chance to get to know Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum before the start of the season, and according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg, Pierce expressed a ton of confidence not only in Tatum's potential, but in his impact for the current season as well.

Tatum has been heralded for his impressive amount of polish as a scorer and overall NBA-readiness, and Pierce echoed this sentiment, saying Tatum "didn't come off like a rookie" and has a "really mature game."

Pierce believes Tatum's high level of polish can be largely credited to the preparation he received before coming into the league which included the "great programs" he went to in high school, and the experience he received playing for a "winning tradition school at Duke."


With all-star Gordon Hayward likely out for the year, Tatum stepping up to help pick up some of the slack would be huge for Boston, and Pierce believes the 19-year-old is ready to produce. The future Hall-of-Famer noted the potential for Tatum to start and win "a lot of games," going on to say that he's "mature enough to handle all that."

Getting a strong vote of confidence from an NBA legend is a huge confidence-booster for any rookie, but Tatum getting this kind of praise from a Celtics great who's style of play has often been likened to his own is truly special.

Take a look at the entirety of Pierce's comments below.



Top photo credit: @jaytatum0, Instagram
Bottom photo credit: Mark Dolejs, USA TODAY Sports
Follow Brendan at @brendansanders0

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