Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum showing reminders of Kobe Bryant

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is creating much excitement in the summer league.  The rookie is showing shades of a couple of the greats.

Who will be the next big star to lead the Boston Celtics?  With Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford and now Gordon Hayward walking through that door, there is a couple young guys who are preparing to knock on that door.

Okay, I may be getting ahead of myself – a little bit.  But, with what 19-year-old Jayson Tatum has showcased through two games in the summer league, the Celtics have drafted themselves a very special player.

Along with Jaylen Brown, last year’s No. 3 pick overall, Tatum is leading the young Celtics in scoring.  While Brown has looked like a man amongst boys, Tatum has shown shades of Paul Pierce with his debut performance Monday night and elements of Kobe Bryant with his 23-point effort in Wednesday night’s 81-70 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

Shades of Kobe Bryant

It is his versatility on the offensive end, particularly his post-up game, that has provided reminders of the Los Angeles Lakers great.  In fact, Tatum shared a little something about himself that may not exactly please most Celtics fans.

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"“Yeah, that’s my favorite player,” Tatum said following the game when asked if he modeled his game after Kobe Bryant.  “He was – then I went to the Celtics.”"

So far, Boston Celtics fans are thrilled the team drafted the former Duke star.  The 23-point, 10-rebound performance something fans and the team could get used to.  Granted, this is only the summer league, but the potential is there and it is showing.

Mature beyond his age

With more experience and growth, Tatum could turn Danny Ainge into a genius.  His maturity as a player as well as his skillset may just prove the Celtics president of basketball operations was correct in trading the No. 1 overall pick for a player he believed was the actual No. 1 player.

"“He’s gonna be a pretty good player in this league for a long time,” Celtics summer league coach Jerome Allen said, via ESPN.  As the days pass I think I’m beyond being surprised by what he’s able to do on the floor from a number of different spots on the floor.”"

It’s only been two summer league games, but his array of offensive moves could make him an elite scorer.  While it’s not fair to compare the kid to either Paul Pierce or Kobe Bryant, any combination of the two would make Jayson Tatum a very special player indeed.

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