Paul Pierce Puts Celtics' Jayson Tatum on Kevin Durant Trajectory

Jayson Tatum has truly arrived as an NBA star.

Being the best player on the defending champs holds a certain level of gravitas. Being able to sustain a high level of play for multiple years is a step towards greatness.

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Tatum has done that — and more for the Celtics. One could make a case hes one of the top five players in the entire sport at the moment. He's probably the best American player on the planet, and someone the Celtics will probably honor in the way of a jersey number retirement down the line once his career has ended.

Paul Pierce thinks Jayson Tatum could catch KD all-time

“He can do everything KD can do. They’re similar in a lot of ways. He might even have more of a handle. His bag is just as good. He can shoot. He can score just like him.”

(h/t @lockedupjb )

pic.twitter.com/oQI96a8UPU
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 2, 2025

Tatum is attempting to join a special group of ex-Boston players making up the fabric of Celtics Nation. Paul Pierce is in that group having been one of the best Celtics players since the 80s. He recently spoke about Tatum, and went as far as to compare him to another elite player in Kevin Durant.

Durant and Tatum are in different places in their careers. Tatum is just about to hit his prime, while Durant, roughly a decade older, is on the back-side of his career. Many think Durant is the purest scorer in league history. The NBA has not seen a player standing close to 7-feet tall possessing his ability to shoot the basketball off the dribble, spotting up, and in virtually any situation when creating offense individually is the goal.

Like Durant, Tatum has a quieter demeanor on the floor. Rarely will you see him be demonstrative in any real way. Also like Durant, Tatum is a jumbo wing with elite ball skills. He's immensely comfortable in taking players off the dribble, spotting up from three, or even pulling up from three on the break.

Could Jayson Tatum catch Kevin Durant All-Time? Through 8 seasons:

Championships:
Tatum - 1, KD - 0

All-NBA Teams:
Tatum - 4, KD - 5

All-Stars:
Tatum - 6, KD - 6

There is a chance he can
— Joel Moran (@joelvmoran) May 3, 2025

Pierce certainly knows a thing or two about the game of basketball. When he speaks, his words hold plenty of weight. The Tatum-Durant comparisons might be worth digging into even further should Tatum continue to be one of the best players in the NBA.

Winning another championship would help Tatum in what's going to inevitably turn into a debate comparing the two. Doing it on the same team would also be considered a feather in Tatum's cap.

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