When the Boston Celtics swung a trade that landed them Kyrie Irving in hopes of him becoming the franchise centerpiece, they already had a young blueprint for him to work with. Though he hasn’t logged a single NBA minute yet, rookie forward Jayson Tatum is an integral part of that same blueprint.
Selected 3rd overall, Tatum is likely the most lethal pure scorer out of this draft class and his ability to play both forward spots adds some coveted versatility to his game. We’ve seen the praise for Tatum be bountiful out of Boston, whether it be from head coach Brad Stevens or Celtic legend Paul Pierce, people can’t rave enough about this young man’s game.
Now, you can add his newest teammate to that list as Kyrie Irving also recently expressed his excitement to take the court with Tatum according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe:
Kyrie Irving on rookie Jayson Tatum: "I'm serious when I tell you guys, that dude is a bad dude." #Celtics
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) September 21, 2017
At just 19 years old, Tatum has years of development still ahead of him so his potential ceiling is downright scary. Though it still remains to be seen what starting five Brad Stevens will throw out there to start the season, Tatum figures to be an immediate fixture in the rotation even if Gordon Hayward and Marcus Morris are the starting forward combo.
Both hailing from the illustrious Duke University, Irving and Tatum already share a connection and that rapport should only increase as the two figure to be an instrumental part of the Celtics’ bright future.
