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Paul Pierce
#34 – Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics
Season: 19.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.7 apg, 44% fg percentage, 85% ft percentage
Career: 22.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.9 apg, 44% fg percentage, 79% ft percentage
Paul Pierce, who once was the poster boy for mediocrity in the NBA, has reinvented his game, has become a winner, and now understands what it takes to win. It’s been 10 years since he was drafted and it took him that many seasons to finally put it all together. Lets get one thing straight: Pierce is a very good player. He’s the leader, the voice and the face of the Boston Celtics. He brings the intangibles that Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett do not – he’ll get in your face, he’ll grind out those rebounds, he’ll take the ball to the hoop during crunch time.
Pierce has always been one of those ‘what-if’ players. What if Boston was able to get him some help not named Antoine Walker? What if Pierce had put it all together earlier and realized his place in this league? Last season was a defining one for the Celtics and for Paul Pierce as well. He’s reinvented himself and now believes he’s the best player in this league. Should everyone else be scared of number thirty-four? Yes, they should be. That’s just the truth.
The Good
Pierce can beat you in many ways. He’s shooting a career matching 44 percent from the field and a career high 44 percent from three. If you put decide to put him on the line – Pierce will make his free throws as well. He’s a very aggressive defender who will play the passing lanes and he’s athletic enough to be a solid rotational defender.
The Bad
He’s a very streaky shooter. Pierce will fall in love with his jump shot almost every game and will shoot his way into and out of slumps. Keep him on the perimeter – hope he has an off game, and be ready for long rebounds.
The Recap
- Very athletic on and off the ball.
- Shoots respectable percentages anywhere on the floor.
- Good face-up and help defender.
- Makes his free throws.
- Streaky.
Tips and Tricks
Turn Pierce into a shooter and hope he doesn’t find his stroke. The more aggressive he plays, the less likely you are to win the game. If you put him on the line, he’ll hit his shots, it’s as simple as that. He’s a free throw shooting machine and will find ways to get there whether you play good defense or great defense. Play off him, force him to pull up, box him out and that should be enough to contain him.
Final Thoughts
I’ve always been indifferent on Paul Pierce. When he played in Boston with Walker he was a great offensive talent – but Boston never won anything. Now, playing alongside KG and Ray Allen, Pierce has reinvented his game. He’s learned to pass. He’s learned to play defense and, most importantly, he’s learned to win. His mindset has completely changed and he’s a much more dangerous player now than he was when he was lighting teams up for thirty a night. How scary is that?
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