Since I would be happy if either T-Mac, Pierce, or Allen got on a 'First Name Basis' with the Rox this summer, the question is: If the deals were (relatively) similar, which of the three, Tracy, Paul, or Ray would you prefer on the Rox? While we're at it, would it be worth it if: Orlando insisted Rox enlarge deal to include Howard (or Hill) or Boston insisted Rox enlarge deal to include LaFrentz (or Davis) or Seattle insisted Rox enlarge deal to include Booth I would prefer T Mac, then Allen (because of being older than McG), finally Pierce. All would look in home white, IMO. I would OK enlarging deals for the overpriced pieces mentioned. Anyone?
Normally, I would say Tracy in a heartbeak. However, the thought of Yao drawing a double team, then kicking it out to Ray for the open three... Splash! A tear comes to my eye.
T-Mac first, no question about it. But I will say this - Pierce had perhaps even less talent surrounding him than McGrady this season, and he carried the Celtics to a playoff appearance.
PP is only a turnover machine because he is the primary ballhandler, and the go to guy. with a real PG on the team his TO's would be cut in half. also if he had another guy on the team that can score (yao) then all we would need him for is hitting open shots. my list would be: T-mac - complete package PP - can do everything but to a lesser extent ray - no defence, but offence is
McGrady is clearly the best player among the three. If the price was the same, nobody in the right mind would not want him over the others. But it will take a lot more to get him than the other guys. So it's a trade off. Thus McGrady and Allen is kind of a toss up for me. I've never liked Pierce's game. He'll be the last I want.
This might seem crazy, but taking into account that it would take a lot more to get McGrady, I will go with Pierce. PP is the best equipped to play SF, and since we already have a great SG, that is a bigger position of need. Jim Jackson could fill in at PG for us. Assuming Pierce+LaFrentz could be had for Francis and Taylor, that would give us: Jackson/Jackson Mobley/Piatkowski Pierce/Nachbar Cato/Padgett Yao/Weatherspoon We wouldn't be very deep, but that is what the MLE is for. That team has all of the offensive firepower that we have now, but would be better defensively (and considering we were top 3 defensively in the league that can only be a plus).
i like paul pierce. being from boston i see more of him than you guys probably. sure he turns it over a lot, but that's just the product of trying to be a one man show. only Iverson can be a one man show, not TMac, not the Truth. pasox... seriously man... it's not really his fault, the Celts have like 0 good players man. no other player on the Celts would be starters in the west. paul pierce is a good shooter too. playing with a big man could make him all the more effective. obviously you want TMac first, but Pierce would be my second choice. He's bigger, more versatile and better defensively than Allen.
tracy...ray..the paul IMO i think paul is overated. He turns it over alot and throws up bricks just like steve.
PP is good, have no questions about that. Does Ainge really like MoT and Boki as much as was reported? Where does Doc weigh in on the C's (or the Rox)?
after i watched PP performance in world championships two summers ago... i lost my faith in him.... in boston, at least he has the excuse of not enough talent... but in the team usa... he is just a cancer...
Paul Pierce is not very good at creating, and is really more of 3 than a guard... His handle is mediocre at best. But he's deadly when paired with someone who can create for him, like Walker did when the C's made their improbable run to the ECF's. He's also more accustomed to a slow-down game than the other two (all of Allen and McGrady's teams have been run and gun) and works harder on defense (and harder in general) than either. His 4th quarter play is right up there with Cassell and Bryant. I do worry that his post up game would get in Yao's way. Ray Allen is probably the best shooter in the NBA, and is lethal coming off of screens. He's not very good at getting to the line, but would probably complement Yao nicely. He plugs clutch 3's at an alarming rate. He's probably a little too soft for JVG's liking. McGrady's a much more talented player than either, but I worry about his attitude. He doesn't have the focus of a Kobe or the heart of an Iverson. He's probably the most skilled 2-guard in the league, but he doesn't bring it every night. He could be an outstanding defense player with his exceptional length and quickness, but really doesn't work hard to stay with his man or even get back in the first place. A 26-year-old with back problems also tends to make one worry. McGrady, Pierce, and Allen is the order in which I would want them.
http://www.boston.com/sports/basket...believes_choice_of_rivers_was_fitting?pg=full Pierce believes choice of Rivers was fitting By Shira Springer, Globe Staff | May 22, 2004 After a season filled with change, Paul Pierce has decided to make a few moves of his own this summer. He plans to buy a house in the Las Vegas area and take up golf. With a little time on the links, Pierce figures he can beat former teammate Antoine Walker. Pierce knows it will be a while before he can compete with new Celtics coach Doc Rivers, though that won't stop the All-Star swingman from visiting Rivers in Orlando, Fla., where championship courses abound. Pierce believes Rivers is the right man for the job, and he wants coach and captain communicating well when next season begins. When reached by telephone yesterday in Los Angeles, Pierce talked at length about Rivers, the departure of former coach Jim O'Brien, the brief tenure of John Carroll, a trying season, and the possibility of playing in the Olympics. "Doc's cool," said Pierce. "He'll be a good fit for the team. I can't say he's the perfect guy because I really don't know him, but playing against his [Orlando team] and knowing his style, he seems like a good fit. The way he coached in Orlando is kind of what we're envisioning over here. We'd like to get up and down the court, score 100 points a game. That's what [executive director of basketball operations] Danny [Ainge] and Doc are trying to do here. That's why I think he's the best guy for the job. And we'll see if he can deal with Ricky [Davis]." Given the experience Rivers brings as a former All-Star player and former Coach of the Year, Pierce anticipates Rivers will earn the Celtics' respect with relative ease. "Doc has been a player in this league," said Pierce. "He understands the player. He's been through the NBA grind as a player and a coach. So, he's going to command a little more respect. He has a resume. That all helps. Ricky shouted out [in the locker room] after the last playoff game, `Bring in Doc Rivers.' He just shouted it out. He already respected the guy, and he didn't even know Doc Rivers." It all sounds a lot more promising than comments made when Ainge met with the players hours after O'Brien resigned. During that meeting, Ainge asked how the players would feel with Carroll serving as interim coach. "[Danny] was asking what we thought of John Carroll," said Pierce. "A lot of people didn't know John Carroll. He was sort of quiet in practice. It was hard, if he was going to take over, to have that respect because he wasn't a guy who commanded a lot of respect in practice. It was different with [O'Brien]. When he was with [Rick] Pitino, [O'Brien] commanded a lot of respect even though he wasn't the head coach. That's why it was easier for [O'Brien] to come in and turn everything around. "Me, Walter [McCarty], and Mark [Blount] didn't know anything but general-type coaches. We'd played for demanding coaches. Pitino and [O'Brien] were really intense, authoritative coaches that commanded respect. In this situation, John Carroll just wasn't going to command that respect, especially with a young team." While Rivers appears easygoing, behind closed doors he can be a tough, demanding coach with a talent for motivating players. Pierce could have used such a motivator after O'Brien resigned Jan. 27. "After O'Brien left, there was a two-week period where I lost a lot of motivation," said Pierce. "I was struggling, wondering, `Where do I find the motivation to come to practice every day and help this team win being in the position I'm in as a captain and leader?' It tested me like I'd never been tested before. I was just happy to get through it." When the postseason ended, Pierce said he felt more relief than disappointment at being swept by Indiana in the first round. "It was a sigh of relief, man," said Pierce. "I was happy just to make the playoffs, not even knowing what we were going to do. That was sort of like my reward for us going through this year, people saying what they said about me and people saying what they said about Danny, about the whole team. People didn't even think we'd win five more games the rest of the season after [O'Brien] left. For us to make the playoffs, it was gratifying for me, regardless of the outcome." For the record, Pierce said he never wanted to be traded. He plans to stick with the Celtics through tough times, as long as the powers that be want him in Boston. All Rivers expects of Pierce come training camp is that he show up in the best condition. Pierce will spend much of his time working out in Los Angeles, though he may join Walker briefly in Chicago for sessions with Michael Jordan's trainer, Tim Grover. Don't expect to find Pierce polishing his game in Athens at the Olympics, though NBA stars are dropping out of the Games on an almost daily basis. At this time, Pierce probably would not accept an invitation. "A few years ago, I gave my heart, I gave my summer to the USA team [that finished sixth at the world championships in Indianapolis], and I feel like they slapped me in the face," said Pierce. "That's just the way I feel. Guys are calling and turning them down. And I have to call them to tell them I'd want to be on [the team]. It's not making enough sense to me. I put calls in to get on [the team that went to the qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico]. I made four or five calls to see if I could make the team, to see if there was something I could do. My phone calls didn't even get returned back to the point where they said, `No, that's OK.' It would be an honor [to be invited to Athens], but I'm not going to stress over it." © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
