Paul Pierce thinks Jayson Tatum has surpassed Kevin Durant - “As far as a better player in the NBA today” 

Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum was recently considered to be better than Kevin Durant. With Paul Pierce making the bold claim recently, the former NBA champion expanded upon his train of thought as well.

Jayson Tatum has made huge strides in improvement over the last few seasons. Emerging as a superstar for the Boston Celtics, Tatum has embraced the role of a leader and contributed significantly to the team's winning efforts.

Meanwhile, Kevin Durant remains one of the best players in the league. With an offensive skillset seldom seen in a player of his size, Durant continues to dominate the league with his special brand of offensive ingenuity.

While both players have had a massive impact on their team's success this season, Tatum has been more successful. With the Celtics occupying the top spot in the East with a 18-5 record, the Celtics superstar has had more early-season success compared to Durant.

Tatum's surge in output has earned him a lot of attention this season. While he was tremendous in the playoffs last year, the youngster appears to have matured a little more after his Finals defeat.

The experience has resulted in Tatum taking another massive stride in development. This stride has also seen him as the top candidate to win the MVP award this season as well.

Read: Stephen A Smith puts Jayson Tatum in MVP conversation - “If you don’t know, you should ask somebody”

Keeping Tatum's improvement this year in mind, former NBA champion Paul Pierce recently claimed that the young Celtics star has surpassed KD. Joining his former teammate Kevin Garnett on Showtime Basketball's "KG Certified", Pierce said:

"I think after last year's playoffs [Jayson Tatum] has surpassed Kevin Durant. As far as a better player in the NBA today."

Pierce, a former Celtic legend himself, may have a bit of a bias when picking Tatum over Durant. However, considering the form the 24-year old was in during the playoffs, it's hard to fault "The Truth" for believing so.

Although Tatum had a disappointing Finals showing, he was nigh unstoppable in the playoffs. As the playoff leader in points, assists and rebounds, Tatum was all over the place while also being a valuable cog in Boston's defensive scheme.

Both players have been rather spectacular this season. While Tatum continues to lead Boston's charge forward, Durant attempts to keep the team afloat with his offensive prowess.

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Is Jayson Tatum better than Kevin Durant right now?

Paul Pierce made a rather bold statement when he placed Jayson Tatum over Kevin Durant. However, there was logic behind the statement as Tatum is playing winning basketball at the moment.

The two players are in very different positions with their teams. The Celtics are one of the best teams in the league because they function as a unit. While Tatum is a bonafide superstar, he is one with the team. With Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and other players being equally essential, Boston are brilliant as a whole.

Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets are antithetical in this regard. Considering the sheer amount of offseason drama that spilled over into the regular-season, the franchise faced immense internal discord.

Amidst all this, Kevin Durant has shone as the sole superstar as Kyrie Irving continued his struggle with being available.

Both players have a solid claim to the MVP award. Each is immensely vital to their team's functioning. While Durant is older, he remains a potent force. Meanwhile, Tatum appears to be on the brink of reaching his physical prime.

Comparisons really don't do either player justice. However, Jayson Tatum appears to be the better player on both ends of the floor at the moment.