The Underrated Paul Pierce
I’m joining the brouhaha about Paul Pierce’s interview in Spain regarding his comment that he’s the best player in the world (see marca.com and english version here at Red’s Army) earlier this week. Pierce further clarified yesterday (see today’s Sunday Globe):
“That’s what I said. I am a confident player and a lot of people might look at it like, ‘Oh, another cocky attitude,’ but I don’t look at it that way. I have an opinion, I have a right to have one, and that’s the way I feel. I felt I’ve played against the best over the years and felt right now that I’m the best player in the world.”
The Ball Don’t Lie blog took up the issue this week and the topic appears to be on it’s way to being an internet legend with almost 14,000 posts in only 5 days. What better way to infuriate the pro basketball proletariat by stepping over Kobe Bryant and saying this:
I don’t think Kobe is the best player. I’m the best player. There’s a line that separates having confidence and being conceited. I don’t cross that line but I have a lot of confidence in myself.
The Point Is . . .
I have no argument with what Pierce is saying. Paul IS the No. 1 player in the world right now - he is due his 15 minutes of fame after all. At long last he is a champion, and as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, the bravado is more than fitting. He’s been down more than most stars for a longer period of time. The championship has vindicated him and the best part is, because he’s talking the big talk, it means he’s going to be more than willing to defend the title this season. It will be up to his opponents to prove otherwise.
And truth be known, if we are really going to give it up for the best player in the world, right now I’d be inclined to give it up for another Celtic player. Sorry Kobe and Lebron. It means pushing you two down to being in the running for No. 3. Let’s recognize Kevin Garnett as the guy that should have received the league MVP, and he certainly put up the best numbers during the playoffs and finals as well, and in my opinion can say he’s the best player in the world at this time.
And why are these argument so misconstrued by fans such as the Lakers? I think it is because they have all fallen in love with scoring? It’s going to be Showtime in LA as long as Kobe’s in town.
What people have to figure out is that there is another side to the coin that is sometimes forgotten in these MVP arguments: DEFENSE. Kobe and LeBron can do it all offensively, just like Pierce, and get it done with more flair. After all, they are the centerpiece of their respective organizations, which prescribes a healthy dose of volume shooting. James is No. 1 and Bryant is No. 2 in field goal attempts with 21.9 and 20.6 attempts per game respectively last season. At only 13.7 shot attempts per game, Paul Pierce doesn’t even show up in the top 50. But yet, he still ranked 31st in scoring due to his ability to get to the line and his great shooting percentages. Pierce climbs even further with regard to the NBA.com efficiency rating, which combines additional ‘box score’ stats to come up with a simple production rating. For NBA efficiency, Pierce is ranked No. 23. The more complex metric PER (player efficiency rating) by Hollinger has Pierce ranked 32nd in the league.
So these metrics of scoring, efficiency and PER for Paul Pierce all seem to place him far from being number one. But . . . in the end, isn’t it all about winning? And that is where Pierce is coming from. He certainly sacrificed any individual goals he may have had to strive for the singular team goal - winning, which the Celtics did in a big way this past season.
Defense - Giving Pierce his Due
To Pierce’s credit, and to further add to his value, I thought I’d remind everyone that Pierce also thought he should be on the all-defensive team, and and as you will see, he is correct in my opinion.
I had him projected to be on the 1st team with Garnett. Instead he doesn’t even get an honorable mention - he was instead a very also-ran only getting 2 frickin’ votes.
His competition? The pathetic Bruce Bowen should not have been considered on the 1st all-defensive team. Raja Bell, Tayshaun Prince and Shane Battier on the 2nd team at the wing spots? Are you kidding me? Paul Pierce (along with Ray Allen) are vastly underrated for their defense simply because they have an all-around game, but it seems that except for Kobe Bryant, if you have any offense - it automatically detracts from your defensive reputation. According to 82games.com, Pierce holds his opponents to the 3rd lowest production in the league behind his team-mate Tony Allen and Tracy McGrady. He obviously benefits by the Celtics vaunted team defense, but I just don’t see these other guys being in the conversation for the 1st team.
I will give Kobe his due, he appears to belong on the 1st team all-defensive. For the record, a guy that may be suffering from the offense discount is Lebron James, so kudos to Kobe for getting that recognition in a market biased against you if you have any semblance of an offensive game.
The MVP
With the inept performance of USA in the 2002 World games and the discordance on that USA team focused on Pierce, to his post-playoff game bandage incident after the elbow from Tinsley in the 1st round of the 2005 playoffs, to the wheel chair escort from the game 1 of the Finals followed by a triumphant return that was dissed by Phil Jackson, to the constant trade rumors that swirled around Pierce during each losing season after the AWalker-TBattie-EWill break-up, it seems like he’s been thrown into the category as being a spoiled arrogant star athlete. Yup - sounds like he’s been cast as the Manny Ramirez of the NBA. But that is just plain wrong.
Pierce survived many losing and tumultuous seasons when the team was torn apart while going through what seemed to be continuous rebuilding by Danny Ainge and the Celtics. The agony an ultra-competitive guy like Pierce went through during that time was obviously only tempered by making on the order of $15 million per year. More importantly, Pierce wanted to make history with Boston as his predecessors with their numbers hanging in the rafters had done 16 times before him.
The frustration that he had to deal with was not approached by any other star of his caliber during the prime of their careers. And players that don’t win typically get traded, unless the organization has faith in their abilities and stands by them, which is what the Celtics have done for Pierce. He’s was drafted by and stayed with the Celtics for 10 seasons and is in rarefied air in that respect. Only Tim Duncan (11 yr at SAS), Kobe Bryant (12 yr at LAL) and Dirk Nowitzki (10 yr at DAL) can say they have matched that with their respective teams, and they have not had to deal with the losing through rebuilding that Pierce did. It has been a true test of patience for guy that has a heart of a champion.
So when it came to the Finals MVP selection, Pierce was finally rewarded for his patience. This the NBA finally did acknowledge. The Celtics former lone big dog refined his game and his attitude to allow two huge players come in and share the stage in order to achieve a greater goal. This was not an easy task, as veterans being pulled in to revamp a team has proven to improve the outcome, but never take the team to the top. And for a team to have the single largest turnaround in the history of the NBA means that there were no egos holding the team back whatsoever.
So now, Pierce is basking in his own light during a time when basketball is on the back-burner, except for the impending Olympics basketball competition. Pierce is thankful. But Pierce wants recognition for what he’s done, and the Finals MVP is only completes part of that vindication.
Come October, there will be ubuntu post-Posey, and unless it is about team first, Pierce will be silent, Ray Allen will be silent, and KG will be silent. They will be looking to defend their hard-earned championship with great pride and commitment to do it again.
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26 Responses to “The Underrated Paul Pierce”
August 3rd, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Huh? What is he doing? He worked hard, raised his game, and gained enormous respect. Now he seems determined to throw it away. For what? He should be proud of his accomplishments but what point is there to open any argument comparing him to a teammate? How many people needing to win one game would pick him over Garnett, never mind Lebron. So now we have a guy who dramatically elevated his reputation and and turned around his legacy throwing that away for nothing. My message to him, Shut up and enjoy the praise. Reputation rebuilding may be only a one shot opportunity and you have already has yours.
August 3rd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
http://mvn.com/nba-lakers/2008/08/02/paul-pierce-and-the-best-player-in-the-world/
Second best player on his team and why wouldn’t the Olympic team want him if he’s so good?
August 3rd, 2008 at 1:39 pm
The notion is kind of cute, but mostly amusing.
I’m with Joe and Ed. “Shut up and enjoy the praise”.
Nine years, and nothing; add KG (former MVP) and Ray Allen to Pierce; championship.
Should that be a surprise? You could have added KG and Allen to any roster in the league and whoever it was would have had championship expectations.
The organization reached that goal, congratulations.
Paul Pierce is only a slice of the pie, but in no way is he the best player in the world.
August 3rd, 2008 at 1:51 pm
The Celtics had the “single largest turnaround in the history of the NBA”.
It’s a nice little “plug line”, but that’s about it. How could anyone not have seen a huge turnaround coming?
Pierce was injured for much of the 06-07 season. With the addition of KG and Allen, they essentially came back with 3 all-stars that they didn’t have the prior season.
Flip the scenario. Imagine the Celtics coming back this season without KG, Pierce, and Allen. I bet they would have another major turnaround, just in the opposite direction.
Again, it was a nice accomplishment, but it should com as no surprise. Those 3 all-stars, and company, did what they expected to do. Nice job.
August 3rd, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Switch LeBron and Pierce, how many games do the Cavs win next year? He didn’t have the heart of a champion until KG and Ray came to town. The Celtics were terrible for years as Pierce didn’t perform like anything more then a good player on a bad team. Like I said, no Olympics, no Hall of Fame, just one good season where he was the second best player on his own team.
Prior to KG and ray coming to town, Paul was just good enough for the Celtics to lose by 20 every game. Put Joe Johnson on the Celts instead of Pierce and no one would know the difference.
August 3rd, 2008 at 4:17 pm
By this logic Shaq was the world’s best player from 1999-2002 and Duncan was the best from 2003-2007. The only difference is that Shaq and Duncan are probably the league’s two dominant forces since Jordan.
Pierce is a nice player. Efficient scorer, good defender and has a good feel for a big moment. His talents complement KG’s (since KG relies too much on mid-ranger shots and rarely attacks in the clutch) and as a result he has a title. He’s still a long way from the best player in the world. Who does everyone else feel is the best player in the world?
August 3rd, 2008 at 4:19 pm
If you have to argue that he is the best player of his TEAM, then there’s no way he’s even close to the best in the NBA. I do say that Pierce had a better career year than Garnett, but overall, we know who is better.
August 3rd, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Pierce is one of the top 50 players of all time. This may sound sacriligous, but I place him above players like Dr. J. and Charles Barkley. Before dismissing the notion, think about those players’ games and Pierce’s, then tell me if either’s positives in total outweigh Pierce’s. And a lot of people don’t realize this, but Pierce is in the top 20 all-time in career scoring average.
August 3rd, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Let’s get one thing straight: Pierce is not better than Kobe.
But Pierce outplayed Kobe in the Finals on both ends of the court. Whereas both Pierce and Kobe lit it up on the offensive end, Pierce was able to lock down Kobe and Kobe couldn’t touch Pierce. Check out the Celtics’ roaring comeback in Game 4, and you’ll see that Pierce deciding to take Kobe in the second half (Ray Allen was on him in the first half) was the difference-maker.
Too many people feel Kobe is the best player in the NBA because he won the regular season MVP award, while Pierce has never earned that distinction. However, it took Kobe 12 years to win that MVP; does that mean he was only the best player in 2007? On the flip side, I think Kobe would easily trade his MVP award for the Finals MVP award and a championship ring, because the Finals MVP means you were the best player on the NBA’s biggest stage. And for the record, Kobe would not have three championship rings if he hadn’t had Shaq in his prime in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
And for those still harping on Pierce for his knee injury, an MRI revealed he had a sprained MCL and bone bruise. A sprain means that you have a near or partial tear of the ligament, which hurts like a mother when it involves the knee. Look: Pierce got stabbed eight times in 2000, coming an inch (literally) within suffering a fatal wound to the heart. Then he came back full strength a few months later to play 82 games in the 2000 season, averaging 25 ppg to boot. I suppose he was faking that injury, too? A knee injury is nothing compared to getting stabbed in the back, face and neck.
August 3rd, 2008 at 7:22 pm
haha this is hilarious….pierce isn’t even top 5 in the league. He’s not even da best player on his team (kg). What makes this even more funny id he cannot seem to think hes better den bron bron or kobe…lebrons team is the celtics without kg or ray ray..and he took dem to 7 games….look what pierce did without them 2…….exactly there a lottery team
August 3rd, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Ridiculous!
I agree with Ed Ziti. Put Pierce on the Cavs (please don’t!) and see how many games they win.
August 3rd, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Wow…this is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.
If Paul Pierce was the best player in the league, then he wouldn’t need the help of KG and Ray Ray to even FIELD a competitive team. Look at LeBron James: He has a team full of castoffs and rejects from around the league and matched Pierce’s Celtics shot for shot in the second round. Heck, LB outscored Pierce, 45-41, in that Game 7. Pierce definitely has the better TEAM.
But to say that he is better than LeBron James is a ABSURD. I’m Danny Ferry, and you’re Danny Ainge. I’ll give you James for Pierce straight up. Deal?
You have drugged yourself up beyond acceptable levels if you deny that trade. Put James in there between Garnett and Allen, and that squad breaks Chicago’s record for wins in a season. Easily.
August 4th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Paul Pierce better then my idol Dr J, are you kidding me? I guess you have never seen Dr J play. Dr J was a top 5 player of all time. In my opinion, he’s third behind Michael and Kareem.
August 4th, 2008 at 7:58 am
Further evidence that Pierce has been punch drunk since winning it all comes from the police report on Pierce in Las Vegas. He was sober fortunately . . .
Pierce has always been a big trash talker, and that is his confidence coming through.
He obviously isn’t the best, but he should be on the top 10 list of active list IMHO.
Damien - I mentioned the turnaround because it’s not that simple to put the stars on the team and expect it to succeed. The Celtics weren’t even picked to win their division after the addition of Allen Garnett due to chemistry issues to be worked out. Everyone was giving them a year to work things out and maybe advance to the 2nd round or conference finals. The projection was more like 50 games. The record-setting turnaround is record-setting for a reason - they exceeded everyone’s expectations - got to give the team and coaching staff credit for that.
Joe, Ed, Randy and Amar - I’m not offering an argument, just excuses for Pierce’s hot air . . .
Ben - Best player in the world right now? I am duly impressed by LeBron James, and would go with him despite the fact that he’s come close but hasn’t won a championship.
August 4th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I agree with the OP,in most of his last post.To understand Pierce fully for comments made recently,you would had to followed him closely over the years,something it seems ManchVegasBob has done.I myself has kept a close watch on Pierce,being a New Englander.Paul says things more out of confidence than arrogance.I think,his road to the championship has been so hard,long,and surprising by him,he is riding high right now.Take a look at his career,and look at Kobe’s…Kobe won championships early in his career,so it wouldn’t hit him with the same affect if he won it now,as Paul has waited 10 yrs.and almost missed that boat,so if he wants to celebrate,and talk it up for a few months in the off season,i as a NBA fan,can accept that from him.I feel he earned the right,after suffering on poor teams for yrs.,to boast a bit.I think,when Sept.,Oct,role around,the only thing on his mind is repeating,and where he stands or rated as a player will not be an issue to me,you or Paul.We all are bored with little NBA news to work with,and the littlest bit of gossip(NBAwise)seems to develop legs and run rapid.I don’t think his comments would have been so widely publicized if it was said,lets say Jan,April,or even during the All Star break.
August 4th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
That’s a good point bolvbball, because he said he should have been on the all-defensive team prior to the selection, and the media turned a deaf ear to that plea. Now the off-season, post-championship - you can hear a pin drop when a Celtics player says something . . .
August 4th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Paul Pierce is clearly not the number #1 player in the world,He may be a great player on the best team right now ,however the Lakers with the addition of a healthy andrew Bynum , I believe will be unmatched in a 7 game series. Bynum cleary clogs up the paint ,and gets the rebounds on those second chance points. Something that killed the Lakers.
Kobe Bryant according to the so-called proffesionals and myself is clearly still the best player in the game.
August 4th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Everyone is entitled to his/her opinions on who are the best player(s)in the NBA.I never felt that the Lakers should have been representing the west in the finals,but they got there,and thats what counts.The Hornets,Jazz and Spurs were better teams i felt,this past season than the Lakers.In saying that,i don’t think the Lakers will be the team to beat next June.I put my money on the Hornets or the Jazz breaking through.
August 4th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
David,
“Pierce is one of the top 50 players of all time? He is better than Dr. J and Charles Barkley”? Are you kidding him? How old are you?
Even if you were going to make this argument, do you know what year the 50 greatest players was name? 1996; and there are plenty of other great players not on that top 50 that are arguably better than Pierce.
Your comments don’t deserve anymore of a response than that.
Randy,
“Kobe would not have three championship rings if he hadn’t had Shaq”.
The same can be said for Pierce. Hell, a fair argument could be made that the Celtics wouldn’t have even been a playoff team without KG and Allen.
D Bocage,
You made a great point in regards to Andrew Bynum. But don’t worry; there is a good chance you’ll see a rematch in the 2009 NBA Finals, and with a healthy Bynum, the completion of the series will change.
Bolvbbal,
I could see the Hornets breaking through. Chris Paul (another player better than Pierce) was amazing in the playoffs. They have the potential.
As for the Jazz, I just don’t see it yet. If anything, I think this will be the year the Rockets advance further along.
August 4th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Well Bob,
Congrats. 18 responses may be a record for this space.
Leave it to Paul Pierce to bring the controversy!
Always did. I guess…he always will.
T
August 4th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Those who don’t believe Pierce is better than Dr. J.–please explain why? Was Dr. J. a better shooter? No. Better passer? No. Better ball handler? Yes. Better rebounder? No. Better driving to the basket? Just as good. Better defender? No. Better dunker? Definitely.
As a complete player, Pierce is better. Dr. J. was revolutionary in his approach to slamming the ball, and his legend in that aspect will not allow some people to properly analyze his game in comparison to others.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:06 am
I can understand why Paul Pierce would say that, because, now that he has the spotlight on him, he deserves to say something crazy (in my mind), but saying he is better than Dr.J is a little much. I mean, when Michael Jordan was young they called him the next Julius Erving, and I don’t think Pierce can uphold that status.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:38 am
David honest question to you, have you ever seen Dr J play? How about this, who’s better John Havlicek or Pierce? I would take Havlicek over Pierce every day of the week. In the end, it’s an opinion, and hard to say who’s right or wrong, but I think the problem is you’re too young to remember these players.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Let’s not forget (in this talk of who is better) that basketball is a team sport. Some players may not rank as highly in individual achievement, but their ability to compliment others is better. Bill Russell is the supreme example of this, as the best team player in the history of sports. As a further controversial example, I will say that if you took the Michael Jordan who dropped 63 points on the Celtics in the playoffs and replaced the Larry Bird of that year with him, the Celtics would not have won as much over the next few years. Bird, AT THE TIME, was a far better team player. It took Jordan years to develop that ability and truly become one of the greats. When Pierce says that he is the best player in the world at this time, he has a good argument. (There is a good one for KG and Ray Allen as well.) He demonstrated his team skills this year over Kobe and Lebron, though both are probably superior individual performers. Don’t be too sure that if we replaced Pierce with one of them that the Cs would have won the championship. Kobe and Lebron both have pretty big egos. It takes dedication to let go of your individual achievements and truly put the team first. It is likely that Pierce would not have been able to do it without the example of KG, just as Kobe wouldn’t have won his rings without Shaq to set the example. In the end Kobe couldn’t stand it; he craved the individual recognition too highly. And he got it. Now, no one doubts Kobe’s individual talent; his challenge is whether he can lift his team another notch, now that he, not Shaq, is the main player. Pierce’s challenge is to continue to use his enormous talent for the Celtics team first, rather than his own achievement. In the end, the willingness to make your teammates more effective is more important.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Amar, the trade you proposed is tempting because of the age difference between the two players. Lebron is so good at such a young age that it is unprecedented. If you reversed the ages of the players, very few GMs would take you up on it. Lebron would still have more ability, but he wouldn’t be expected to last or improve, as people think he will now. Even if you made Lebron the same age as Pierce is now, then you’d have few takers. Would Danny trade Pierce straight up for Kobe? Probably not.
August 15th, 2008 at 3:39 am
so you guys have got to know sth about the meaning of BEST PLAYER which is measured correspondingly, the best individual player or the team player.
1vs1 is no meaning in the basketball game, it is not a stree ball game, we got 5vs5 ball game on court, NBA broadcasts a team game, but not a 1vs1 game, and things are not so simple than it looks(I mean the view of 3 stars together in team must get a title absolutely??).
based on CELTICS’s victory, I dare to say that PAUL PIERCE is the best player in the league right now.
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