Pierce welcomes Tatum comparisons: 'He's a superstar in the making'

Paul Pierce is rather protective of his Boston Celtics legacy, so when you hear him welcoming comparisons to present Celtics players, you can rest assured he's being sincere.

Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum has already drawn comparisons to Pierce for his size, craftiness, versatility, and scoring panache. Far from bristling at the comparison, Pierce seems, if anything, flattered by it, noting that Tatum is way ahead of where he was on the developmental curve as a rookie.

"I see it, I definitely do," Pierce told Chad Finn of the Boston Globe. "I wasn't the most athletic guy. Tatum is a lot more athletic than I was. He can use either hand. Once he gets a little stronger in the near future, look out. I mean, he's obviously smart beyond his years.

"When I came out, I was a 21-year-old. He was 19 for most of this season. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but a year and a half, two years, that's a lot of developmental time. I had three years of college to develop. He had one year, and he's already doing this. He's a superstar in the making. You can compare a kid like that to me anytime you want."

Pierce also didn't play a playoff game until his fourth NBA season. Tatum, in his first taste of postseason action, is averaging 18.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.2 steals to help lead the Celtics to within two games of the Finals.