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I appreciate Paul Pierce now more than ever
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Photo by Steve Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
He hit 3 of 7 shots against the Clippers.
He was 2 of 6 against the Grizzlies.
The Celtics won each game by about 20 points.
And I appreciate Paul Pierce now more than ever.
Against Miami and Chicago, Paul Pierce was vintage "Truth", dropping 36 and 37 en route to much needed wins with half the team hurt. But now that Kevin Garnett is back, there is one stat that makes me appreciate what Paul Pierce is doing in the "Big 3" era:
Against Miami and Chicago, Pierce took 47 shots. In the 3 games since then, with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen back, Pierce has taken 29 shots. That used to practically be a one game total for him.
But Paul Pierce sees a greater good. He has tasted the championship as a Celtic, and he wants more. When those emotions overflowed when John Havlicek handed him that trophy back on opening night, he got hooked. Paul Pierce is addicted to success, and he'll sacrifice his own game for the team to get it.
Pierce proved that he could still score 30-plus if he wants to. Pierce proved that he could still, when everyone is hurt, put his cape back on and carry the Celtics. But unlike a lot of the game's "superstars," Pierce isn't so selfish that he can't give things up with other stars around. Let's just say if he had Shaq, he wouldn't have blown it.
Pierce was cursed to spend most of his career on mostly bad teams. He has made public mistakes, and probably a few private ones. But he has embraced team basketball more than most NBA players. Some may say Paul Pierce has slipped into a funk over the past few games, but those people are wrong. Pierce is showing why now, more than ever, he should be appreciated for the true superstar... and champion... that he is.
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