Author Topic: Pierce: rookie Tatum Looks like a prime version of me, skys the limit  (Read 1957 times)

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Offline CelticsElite

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http://www.csnne.com/boston-celtics/boston-celtics-paul-pierce-jayson-tatum-he-looks-older-version-me


He didnt exactly say that, but he said this which is close;


For Pierce, he doesn’t see Tatum being as good as he was scoring the ball when the 10-time All-Star came into league in 1998.

He’s better.

“He looks like an older version of me, when I started doing the step-back and stuff,” Pierce said in an exclusive interview with CSN. “When I’m watching him, he looks like a mature version of my game, like sixth, seventh, eighth year. He sees the defense. He knows what’s going to happen before it happens. He understands his position, footwork, his step-back (jumper) is there. His offensive repertoire seems complete. The sky is the limit for that kid.”

Re: Pierce: rookie Tatum Looks like a prime version of me, skys the limit
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2017, 11:05:11 PM »

Offline LilRip

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That's some high praise for the rook. I really hope it translates. If it does, we could have an all star in our hands.
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Re: Pierce: rookie Tatum Looks like a prime version of me, skys the limit
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2017, 11:27:26 PM »

Offline gouki88

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Considering the 27/7/5 beast that Pierce was in his prime, if Tatum can even be 80% of that in his first 3-4 years I will be ecstatic. More we see of JT the more excited I get
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Re: Pierce: rookie Tatum Looks like a prime version of me, skys the limit
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2017, 12:53:46 AM »

Offline Beat LA

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Hmm, I'm not sure that I agree with Pierce's assessment, there.  Paul was a much better shooter and didn't travel on his step-back like Tatum does whenever the latter fades over his left shoulder (he changes his pivot foot from his right to his left every single time, whether it was in college or during the summer league, so I would like to think that he would be cited for that infraction immediately.  It's like he's cheating with the Dirk one-legged fadeaway, lol, which is at least a borderline offensive foul, anyway, imo), although I do think that Jayson is already a much better post player than Pierce ever was. 

The major difference between them as of right now, imo, is that "Not Channing" is a black hole whenever he gets the ball, and while Pierce wasn't exactly Rondo in terms of passing, he did through a number of great ones over the years and I wouldn't say that everything ground to a halt whenever he had the ball in his hands, or maybe I'm misremembering.  It'll be interesting to see if Tatum puts in the effort, defensively, as well, which, from my recollection, Pierce unfortunately never did until KG arrived, but then again I did miss the first six seasons of Paul's career, so there's that :-\.

Re: Pierce: rookie Tatum Looks like a prime version of me, skys the limit
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2017, 08:26:21 AM »

Offline Green-18

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Nice to hear the enthusiasm from Pierce.  I think the Pierce comparison is very fair but I see Tatum as more of a hybrid between Pierce and Dirk.  Pierce was better ball handler, which allowed him to penetrate from the perimeter consistently regardless of the match up.  He was also a better passer than Tatum.  Tatum needs to get the ball in favorable spots from 20 feet and closer unless there is a clear mismatch.  PP was also a better 3-point shooter than Tatum is right now. 

Tatum definitely has the quick first step and owns the mid-range game.  I expect him to take advantage of mismatches right away.  His post game is more refined than Pierce's and has shades of Dirk. 

It would be nice to see Brad Stevens work in some sets that are designed to isolate Tatum on the block.  I used to love when Pierce would work to position himself behind the defender in the post.  The quick entry pass to the paint for an easy 2 points became a staple of his game.


Re: Pierce: rookie Tatum Looks like a prime version of me, skys the limit
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2017, 08:49:42 AM »

Online Roy H.

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Tatum's game is interesting because he's got NBA moves and size, but to date his results haven't matched his talent.



Tatum looks like a good shooter, but he's not there yet. I think he'll definitely get there, but as a rookie he might have some struggles.


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Re: Pierce: rookie Tatum Looks like a prime version of me, skys the limit
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2017, 08:55:22 AM »

Online BitterJim

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Hmm, I'm not sure that I agree with Pierce's assessment, there.  Paul was a much better shooter and didn't travel on his step-back like Tatum does whenever the latter fades over his left shoulder (he changes his pivot foot from his right to his left every single time, whether it was in college or during the summer league, so I would like to think that he would be cited for that infraction immediately.  It's like he's cheating with the Dirk one-legged fadeaway, lol, which is at least a borderline offensive foul, anyway, imo), although I do think that Jayson is already a much better post player than Pierce ever was. 

The major difference between them as of right now, imo, is that "Not Channing" is a black hole whenever he gets the ball, and while Pierce wasn't exactly Rondo in terms of passing, he did through a number of great ones over the years and I wouldn't say that everything ground to a halt whenever he had the ball in his hands, or maybe I'm misremembering.  It'll be interesting to see if Tatum puts in the effort, defensively, as well, which, from my recollection, Pierce unfortunately never did until KG arrived, but then again I did miss the first six seasons of Paul's career, so there's that :-\.

You're not misremembering (at least when Pierce was on the older side).  The offense used to run through him when Rondo was out.  I certainly don't expect anything close to that out of Tatum (at least for the next 3-4 years), but on the other hand, the offense is much different than when Doc ran the show. The ball movement-heavy offense we run requires much less playmaking from any individual player, and if Tatum can pass at even Bradley or Crowder's level initially (which I think is very reasonable) then he should be fine. 

And on top of that, he'll be able to learn a lot from Hayward (and Pierce?)
I'm bitter.

Re: Pierce: rookie Tatum Looks like a prime version of me, skys the limit
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2017, 09:18:02 AM »

Offline Sketch5

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Tatum's game is interesting because he's got NBA moves and size, but to date his results haven't matched his talent.



Tatum looks like a good shooter, but he's not there yet. I think he'll definitely get there, but as a rookie he might have some struggles.

You have to remember that he was injured the first part of the season. He said himself when he got back on the court he was trying to play catch up with all the other guys heading into the draft. So he didn't let the game flow and forced things. Once Coach K sat him a couple times he started to click that he had to let it come to him. And he played well in the second half and into the tourney. Probably hurt some of those numbers, how much, I can't say, but watching summer league I was impressed with his shot. And yes it was summer league, but see how he did his first year, and how Brown did his fist, can make you a little excited for him.

He still may never be lights out shooter like a KD, but if he's close to PP, I'll be happy. The guy who trained him and Semi, who also trained Beal, and Lee and a few others said Tatum was the most pro ready when it came to actual skill.

And looking at his frame, being 6'8" and 19. He might be like PG13 and grow a bit more and hit that 6'9" or 6'10" range. Which will help get his slower shot off.

Re: Pierce: rookie Tatum Looks like a prime version of me, skys the limit
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2017, 09:34:42 AM »

Online Donoghus

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I don't expect him to be very efficient or anything but he should definitely get his points.  He can certainly create his own shot.  The question will be how many minutes will he be getting on this team?


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Re: Pierce: rookie Tatum Looks like a prime version of me, skys the limit
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2017, 10:18:47 AM »

Offline Green-18

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I don't expect him to be very efficient or anything but he should definitely get his points.  He can certainly create his own shot.  The question will be how many minutes will he be getting on this team?

I agree.  I don't see Tatum being overly efficient on high volume yet.  It's very difficult for any rookie wing player to come in and score with efficiency.  He should manage have some big games against the right matchups.  I think a solid rookie season would be 10-12 PPG on 42/35/85. 

I am interested to see how he fits in defensively.  He can't earn big minutes without being satisfactory on the defensive side of the ball.  The good news for Tatum is that Brad usually experiments with many lineups over the first few months of the season.  He should have plenty of opportunities early in the season. 

Re: Pierce: rookie Tatum Looks like a prime version of me, skys the limit
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2017, 12:32:17 PM »

Offline Dino Pitino

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If we were some bottom dweller with no gems, we'd be completely focused on and high as a kite on the prospects of either of the two #3 overall picks, penciling in one or the other for future All Star games. We've got two. And they're almost afterthoughts to Irving, Hayward, and Horford. I love this franchise.
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Re: Pierce: rookie Tatum Looks like a prime version of me, skys the limit
« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2017, 12:38:38 PM »

Offline Boris Badenov

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Tatum's game is interesting because he's got NBA moves and size, but to date his results haven't matched his talent.



Tatum looks like a good shooter, but he's not there yet. I think he'll definitely get there, but as a rookie he might have some struggles.

You have to remember that he was injured the first part of the season. He said himself when he got back on the court he was trying to play catch up with all the other guys heading into the draft. So he didn't let the game flow and forced things. Once Coach K sat him a couple times he started to click that he had to let it come to him. And he played well in the second half and into the tourney.

The numbers support this, although his percentages from 2pt didn't increase in the second half relative to the 1st. Only his 3pt shooting, which went from under 30% to almost 37%.

I think the shooting concerns are legit, particularly since he creates space with finesse rather than pure athleticism. When he's getting bumped and picked by NBA vets who outweigh him and are significantly stronger, it makes sense to expect that he will struggle to create space and get his shots off with balance and touch.