Jayson Tatum’s play has played a major part of the Boston Celtics’ hot start to the season that has them sitting atop of the league with the best record in the league.

Ahead of the road matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night, Tatum did not travel with the team, but is still expected to take the court, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPN.

The 19-year-old has stepped up and excelled in a major role in the starting lineup in place of All-Star forward Gordon Hayward, averaging 14 points on 50.8 percent shooting from the field along with a league-best 51.9 percent from beyond the arc. He has also tallied the fourth-most points (375) for a rookie in franchise history through the first 26 games played.

Tatum has provided a consistent scoring punch for the Celtics, scoring in double figures in all but three games while also posting three 20-point outings.

His ability to quickly come in and comfortably become a dependable offensive contributor has been a key part of Boston’s early-season success.

It has also made it clear that he has a bright future ahead of him and could develop into one of the premier scorers in the league over the next couple of seasons. If he can remain healthy, there is an opportunity for him to make his mark in the league.