Paul Pierce Deserves (Some) MVP Consideration
by Greg Payne on Dec 5, 2009 4:15 PM EST
in Boston Celtics Articles
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PrintI need to start this article with a very large disclaimer: This is not a "Paul Pierce should be MVP" article. This is simply a, "Paul Pierce should at least be considered for MVP" article. I do not believe Pierce is the MVP of the league at this point in the season, but I do believe he should be amongst the Top 10 in all of the various MVP lists being published by the likes of NBA.com and ESPN.com. Pierce deserves credit for the tremendous season he's having and just being in the discussion for something like an MVP award would serve as testament to how effective he's played so far.
Those of us who watch Pierce on a nightly basis and witness first hand not only the obviously dominating parts of his game, but also the subtle aspects that will only be appreciated by watching him nightly. We know his game isn't always flashy and he won't grace SportsCenter's Top 10 every morning like some other stars, however a slashing drive and spin move for a layup by Pierce and a tomahawk dunk by LeBron James both count as two points. However as great as Paul is, and even though he means so much to one of the top teams in the league, he is nowhere to be found in the MVP discussion.
NBA.com's Top 10 MVP candidates as of yesterday:
1) Kobe Bryant...2) Lebron James...3) Dirk Nowitzki...4) Carmelo Anthony...5) Dwight Howard...6) Steve Nash...7) Kevin Durant...8) Dwyane Wade...9) Tim Duncan...10) Brandon Roy
ESPN.com's Top 10 MVP candidates as of Monday:
1) Kobe Bryant...2) LeBron James...3) Steve Nash...4) Dirk Nowitzki...5) Carmelo Anthony...6) Dwight Howard...7) Dwyane Wade...8) Joe Johnson...9) Brandon Roy...10) Kevin Durant
As I'm sure you noticed, there are quite a few duplicates on both those lists. But neither list includes Pierce. Therefore, allow me to present my rationale as to why he should be on both.
Much was made of the sluggish play that was beginning to define this Celtics team after a promising 6-0 start. We questioned the defense, the intensity, the heart and the general interest these guys had in reclaiming a championship in June. Well, amidst questions of Kevin Garnett's health and Ray Allen's age and performance, Pierce was the stabilizer during this stretch, which arguably reached its peak after the Celtics lost to the Magic on November 20 at home. Pierce was the mark of consistency and durability that the team often fell back on when the transparent play was visibly noticeable amidst a 9-4 start. Basically, Pierce kept us afloat while we figured ourselves out.
Kobe and LeBron are obviously both fantastic players and people always seem to latch onto the idea that if they were to be removed from their respective teams, those teams would suffer mightily. I'm sure this is true to an extent, but I'm also sure it's true of any superstar in this league. When the team's best player misses time, the team is bound to suffer. It's a simple formula.
However, a guy like Pierce never really seems to get the benefit of this argument, most likely because he has such stellar teammates like Garnett and Allen. But think back to earlier this season, in the midst of all the hoopla this team was working through. Where would this team have been had Pierce not been in the lineup? Surely this group would not have weathered the storm as effectively as it actually did. Think back to how many close games this team had to deal with against sub par opponents. With Pierce out of the lineup, do we win those games? I'm not so sure that we do.Then the critics really would have been calling for some sort of move to be made.
Pierce's phenomenal play this season has really bailed out many other guys on this roster. Garnett is finally starting to look like the guy we loved in 2008. The KG that started the season was hesitant, arguably a step slow and appeared unsure of his own athleticism. He needed NBA minutes to work his way back and we needed him to do that without the team losing a hefty amount of games. Pierce's play took a ton of pressure off of Garnett, which allowed him to comfortably work his way back and now we're started to reap the benefits of an apparently healthy KG.
The same can be said of a guy like Ray Allen, who wasn't necessarily shooting lights out to begin the season. People wondered if this was the year we'd see a steady decline in Ray (turns out it appears it won't be) and after just an okay start, the trade talk started to swirl. But again, Pierce's play allowed Allen to work his way into a groove and now he's just as deadly as ever.
Imagine if we didn't have Pierce and expected steady production from Rasheed Wallace and Eddie House, who both suffered through nightmarish slumps at the commencement of the season. Pierce's play helped us transition through that tough stretch and now 'Sheed and Eddie are finding their respective grooves as well.
I want to take a closer look at the NBA.com and ESPN.com lists. The top four teams in each conference all have representation on ESPN's list - except the Boston Celtics. Cleveland has LeBron, Orlando has Dwight Howard and Atlanta has Joe Johnson. Now please tell me, how is it that the Celtics, Cavs, Magic and Hawks have extremely similar records, yet Pierce is the only one on the outside looking in? What's the difference? A player from a 15-4 Orlando Magic squad is going to grace the top six on that list, but a player from a 16-4 Boston Celtics squad isn't going to crack the Top 10?
Then I look at a guy like Brandon Roy gracing the ninth spot on ESPN's list. Portland is 12-8 and sits fifth in the Western Conference. Now, If Portland was currently 17-3 or 18-2 and in the top three in the West, largely due to the play of Roy then I could certainly see why he would be considered. But they're just 12-8 and that's supposed to be enough to get some MVP love? And leading a team to a 16-4 record and the top spot in the Eastern Conference isn't going to cut it? A similar argument could be made against Kevin Durant and the Thunder. Sure, they're an up and coming team and Durant plays the pivotal role for them, but they're 10-9 on the season and are currently out of the playoff picture. Again, if they were 16-3 or 15-4 and challenging the upper tier teams, I could certainly see Durant getting the nod, but not when his squad is a mere game over .500.
Another reason those lists bother me is because back in 2008, Garnett was held out of the major MVP debate because everyone thought he had too much help around him. Well, this season, that excuse cannot and should not keep Pierce from being in the discussion, because the vast majority of the guys on that list have practically all the help they need this year.
Here's the breakdown of the help:
Howard: Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus and Jameer Nelson (when healthy).
Kobe: Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum.
Johnson: Josh Smith, Al Horford, Marvin Williams, Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford.
LeBron: Shaquille O'Neal, Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon and Mo Williams. Coming into this season everyone said Shaq was the solution to LeBron's problems. Well, don't hype up this duo at the start of the season and then start this talk of these two not gelling together on the court properly. If Shaq isn't what LeBron needs, please voice these claims now, rather than waiting until April or May.
Tim Duncan: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson.
I will say that guys like Carmelo, Nash, Dirk and Wade absolutely deserve to be on this list because they don't have as much help around them as some of the other superstars they share the list with. But because the Magic, Cavaliers, Lakers, Spurs and Hawks are so loaded, Pierce can no longer be ruled out because of his superior teammates.
Many of the players on those lists are defined by the numbers they put up every night, but has Pierce's play ever been defined solely by his numbers throughout his career? Pierce has always defined himself by being the ultimate team guy and asserting himself in whatever area the team needs production in. Pierce is an analyst in true form - he assesses the situation, realizes what the team needs and more than adequately supplies it. Sometimes scoring over 20 points is not what this Celtics team needs and Pierce realizes that. Sometimes they need a guy to grab more rebounds or hand out more assists or slow down the opposing team's best perimeter player. Whatever the scenario, Pierce always answers his team's calls.
Sometimes these MVP debates are defined too heavily by numbers, which is a shame, because it plays into the hands of guys like Kobe and LeBron. Does Kobe realistically need to average over 27 points per game in order for the Lakers to win? Probably not. But that's how Kobe plays the game. Can Pierce realistically average over 25 points per game this season? Probably. But that's not how Pierce plays the game.
I alluded to it in an article on Friday, but how many times has Pierce passed up open shots in order to get his teammates involved? I've lost count of the number of times he could take a lightly contested three, only he dishes to a guy like Brian Scalabrine instead. And this trend with Pierce didn't magically develop when Garnett and Allen showed up two seasons ago. Remember when Wally Szczerbiak first showed up here and Pierce immediately allowed Wally to start shooting the free throws after opponents committed technical fouls?
And isn't that the point of an MVP? An MVP make his team better by making his teammates better. An MVP sacrifices at times so his team benefits. An MVP is much more than just the numbers he puts up.
That's interesting. An MVP sounds an awful lot like Paul Pierce.
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Damn right
So true and has been for years
by Warrior Spirit on Dec 5, 2009 4:33 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Amazing article!
Very well written, and I couldn’t agree more. In his entire career, I don’t think Pierce has ever recieved the credit he deserves and he most likely never will. But, part me of think that’s what keeps him going too, he always has something to work for. Great points about the teams having the help, hopefully Pierce will start to get more credit.
by faithfulcelticfan34 on Dec 5, 2009 4:36 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Always easier to sell a movie that has TOM CRUISE! than a film with an ensemble cast. The media likes simple story lines. Why should the NBA be different? Seriously, PP should get a nod—tho "truthfully’ KG and Rondo have been as significant in keying this streak.
Disgrace to put cruise and Pierce in the same subject
cruise is brain dead. Pierce has actually accomplished something.
Irrelevent discussion. What matters is that we’re playing the way we’re playing now at season’s end.
by Finkelskyhook on Dec 5, 2009 10:00 PM EST up reply actions
I'll add this to the under-appreciated parts of Pierce's game:
PP is the best (defensive) rebounder at the SF spot in the league. As a team, the C’s are not great rebounders, and for his team, it’s important that Pierce be running the open court. Thus, his rebounding numbers aren’t the most dominant among SFs. But having watched him play for 11 years now, there is no SF I would rather have when the game is tight and the ball is up for grabs. Think game 7 ECFs agains the Cavs. Remember Pierce stealing the jump ball from Lebron? I think Pierce’s body control and core strength are superhuman, and he uses both of these powers to max effect in his rebounding.
Rondo might be more of a sensational rebounder (bc of his size, and his flirtations with triple doubles), and KG/Perk might pull more boards because of their positions, but there’s no doubt in mind that PP is the best rebounder on the team. Likewise, he’s the best rebounder among small forwards. Sorry Carmelo, Lebron…
by milt palacio's shot on Dec 5, 2009 6:03 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Well said
this is a little-commented part of Pierce’s game. Easily the best swingman rebounder of the game, and has been for at least eight years.
Amen...
Two plays from the 2008 Finals that I`ll never forget :
1} Paul blocking Kobe`s long jump shot in Game 4
{when has anyone blocked a long-range Kobe jumper?}
2} Paul`s much-needed “monster rebound”, in traffic, during final minute of Game 5
by Title 18 on Dec 6, 2009 11:04 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Maybe not the NBA MVP.
Pierce’s game is not flashy enough for the MVP popularity contest. But when we’re picking teams in the schoolyard, I absolutely believe Pierce is getting picked before most in either of those lists.
He’s been unbelievable and he’s still unbelievable. When they put a bust of him in the Hall of Fame there needs to be a chip on his shoulder—he’s spent his entire professional career proving the experts wrong.
by Thruthelookingglass on Dec 5, 2009 6:04 PM EST reply actions
consistency
sorry boston fans but pierce can never be an MVP-type of player in the same mold as james, bryant, wade or even carmelo. why? paul pierce in his career has never shown any form of consistency in his game. much to the credit of him being surrounded by talented teamates like garnett, allen, rondo and a good supporting cast, there are games where pierce is a non-factor and with age creeping and star-studded line-up it would be impossible for him to be their main man. paul pierce missed his chance to be an MVP type of player boston can rely on last year when KG was injured. before KG and allen joined the celtics, this team was a sub par team-lottery bound and peirce together with antoine walker were never contenders; i.e peirce can’t carry his team by himself. among the big three, KG is the MVP of the boston celtics who can carry this team again back to its winning ways
not paying attention
as pointed out in the article, and any game that you actually watch, he is not required to put up numbers everynight because he has others around him that can help. he frequently does his best to get others involved, he is a very underrated passer and rebounder, not to mention defender, and always has been. whatever the team need most on a given night, he does. KG would even admit PP is the mvp of the c’s. When he is needed to put on his cape, he takes the game over. How many games just in the last 3 years have we seen him put up quiet numbers in the 1st half, but right there on his man or playing the facilitator, but when the team needs a spark he will go off for 20 in the 2nd half.
by the way he is pretty damn consistent against your man lebron or kobe, usually ending up on top.
now I believe wade is mvp last year too, but pp should be in top 5 consideration, easily over durant, duncan, melo, roy, johnson, dont get me wrong I have much respect for all these players, and the way JJohnson, Dirk, Duncan have been playing they should absolutely be in consideration, but so should pierce
by Warrior Spirit on Dec 5, 2009 8:21 PM EST up reply actions
No one in the league can carry a team by themselves
LeBron couldn’t do it back when they made it to the Finals a few years ago…Kobe couldn’t do it when he didn’t have Shaq or Pau Gasol and Wade hasn’t done it since Shaq left…In the NBA it’s basically been proven that you need at least 2 stars…The closest we’ve seen is basically Iverson in 2001, when he was the only guy on Philly, but as we all saw, when Philly met a Lakers team with more than one star, LA wrapped that series up. No one in the NBA can do it alone.
by Greg Payne on Dec 5, 2009 9:22 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
He's not the MVP but...
He deserves to be on the list.. He has played unselfishly and his defense has been excellent.
But LeBron is the MVP. Without him, Cleveland would be lucky to win 35 games.
by Brickowski on Dec 5, 2009 6:26 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Cleveland only winning 35 games without LeBron
Doesn’t necessarily mean LBJ is the MVP of the league. It may make him the most valuable in terms of wins to his team, but there is not a universally accepted definition of what “valuable” is when considering MVP. You are choosing to define it a certain way, as many have, but others don’t prioritize that definition, but consider different factors. Some think “player of the year”, some think who led their team to the most wins. What if Cleveland finished with the 3rd of 4th seed, vs. a player whose team was the #1 seed?
Proving a player has the most impact on his team’s win totals, if you could, does not make him MVP necessarily. Way too early to determine who the MVP is this year. How the season plays out in terms of which teams win the most games, will have an impact on who wins the award.
by KJ33 on Dec 6, 2009 1:51 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Bill Simmons has it right here. The concept of “arguability” should be stricken from our sports vocabulary. We shouldn’t discuss Pierce for MVP unless we actually think he is an MVP. If you think he is the most valuable player, say that. If you can’t actually say with any credibility that Pierce is, at the very least, just as valuable as the leading MVP candidates, just leave this useless article unwritten. I don’t actually disagree with you, I’m just saying it’s a pointless argument.
I have to frame my argument this way
Pierce won’t win MVP in today’s league. It stinks, but it won’t happen. If I came out and said Pierce will win MVP, the Kobe and LeBron lovers of the world would try and trash this blog. But if nothing else I can fight for Pierce to be in the discussion, because if ESPN.com and NBA.com are going to keep publishing these lists and people are going to keep discussing them, Pierce should at the very least be in the conversation every time. If nothing else.
What if we think he deserves a second or third place vote?
This article is meta to the MVP discussion and it might be useless if there was a clear definition or protocol for voting but there isn’t. The idea of what makes a player “most valuable” is almost completely arguable. Now it might mean as others in this thread have stated (for maybe different reasons) that the MVP award itself is pretty useless in and of itself. But that’s probably another article.
The reason why the MVP often seems so arbitrary and ridiculous is because it is burdened by the entire community’s focus on the “storyline,” and the “conversation.” It’s groupthink, and the MVP voters make mistakes when they start paying attention to those storylines. A big aspect of those storylines is that sense of entitlement – i.e. he has a right to be a part of the conversation, he doesn’t. For example, last year everyone decided it was Lebron’s year, and the year before that it was Kobe’s year. You’re arguing for someone that goes against conventional wisdom, but you’re framing your argument in the terms that give us crappy groupthink MVPs that we decided needed to be “a part of the conversation,” like Malone in ’96, and Barkley in ’93.
Have a point. If you think Pierce should be the MVP, write a “Paul Pierce should be MVP” article. If you think he’s underrated, but not MVP, write a “Paul Pierce is a top-ten player” article. With this, I don’t quite know what you think. The only way to avoid the distortions of false perception is to cut through it with a clear, firmly-stated, fact-based argument.
by watchingandhi on Dec 6, 2009 9:09 AM EST up reply actions
That would be all well and good, if the MVP was based on facts. It’s not. People see things differently and they view facets of any player and/or the context of their play differently. It’s not useless to discuss what is valuable.
It seems like you’re saying one player should standout to any given observing individual and that a case should be made for them. If you’re an actual MVP voter, even if that’s the case that voter still has to vote for second and third place guys, votes that can impact the actual outcome in certain situations. So I don’t know how anyone can make a decision without comparing players, or at least considering them. And how do you do that without judging what’s valuable? This article to me is discussing what’s valuable; maybe not directly, but it leads right to that, and that’s the part of it I find interesting—so I just don’t see how that’s useless or pointless.
I do agree there is not many stupider things than it’s so-and-so’s “turn” to win.
he is MVP
Too bad its a popularity contest I remember one year mcgrady was in houston one of his first years and they were doing solid he got hurt and they did not win a game I think they won one game out of like 28 the same thing happened when paul was hurt the year before kg and ray got here I think that’s the ultimate definition of value would your team be able to even win a game without you if they can’t and when your there the team goes to the playoffs c’mon that’s value personified paul as much as I love him just isn’t flashy enough nor is he a highlight reel of dunks but he will destroy anyone in the league one on one
by reggie_35 on Dec 5, 2009 6:37 PM EST via mobile reply actions
cant carry
C – Tony Battie
PF – Antoine Walker
SF – Eric Williams
SG – Paul Pierce
PG – Kenny Anderson
Bench:
C/PF – Rodney Rogers PG – Tony Delk SF – Walter McCarty PG – Erick Strickland C – Mark Blount C – Vitaly Potapenko SF – Kedrick Brown SG – Joe Forte 1
thats the team that made it to the eastern finals 2001-2002 and you say pierce cant carry them oh and did we forget that he got stabbed and he did this ???? so before you say that learn your shit
Sure It's a Popularity Contest
Driven by marketing. So let Kevin Duriant win the MVP. Who cares? I don’t even bother to vote for the all star game anymore.
Let Pierce win finals MVP (again). That’s the MVP that matters. The rest is crap.
walker pierce never contenders?
Sorry buddy look at pauls numbers he is a model of consistency his numbers don’t fluctuate crazily ,he lead the league with most overall points in a year took the celtics to the playoffs 7 out of the 10 years he’s been in the league and to the eastern conference finals the nets just had our number but paul did lead us to the biggest comeback in playoff history with him scoring 46 points in just the second half of the game and he did carry the team almost the entire year last year and to top it off just cuz lebron whatever your screen name is how you like how our paul pierce molests your lebron your kobe your wade head to head EVERYTIME that aint consistent enough for you just remember who gave him the name THE TRUTH it was shaq after paul put 42 on him and kobe in LA…don’t speak on 34 unless you got facts or actually played the game
by reggie_35 on Dec 5, 2009 7:08 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Great Article
This is very close to the best article I have ever read on this web-site and I have been here since nearly the beginning.
Firstly, in response to wathingandhi, I think Greg actually makes the case that Paul is the MVP, if you read the last sentence in the article.
From my green eyed perspective, like many of you I have watched Paul from the beginning of his Celtics career and he really is now the ultimate team player and the glue that makes this team work.
He is unbelievably unselfish and Greg is spot on with his observation about getting others involved even when he has an open shot.
Paul is a true Celtic and his passion for wining and the team / franchise, to me, matches any of the great Celtic leaders of the past.
The other aspect of his game that makes him an MVP in my mind is his toughness and durability. Paul has played a very physical game for 11 years in the NBA, where it does not get any more physical. His body is still in great shape and as “milt palcio’s shot” said, his core strength is almost superhuman.
If Ron Artest says Paul is his toughest opponent, that is good enough for me.
Is Paul MVP? In my biased mind yes.
Does Paul deserve to be in the top 10 lists? In my unbiased mind, absolutely, every day, every week, every year since his rookie year he should have been in the discussion.
I also like Brick’s point. Let him win another Finals MVP award and that really does say it all.
Keep on truckin’ P, you are the heart and the soul and Thaaaaa Captain !!!!!!!!
Cheers
Aussie
MVP and Paul Pierce
Just the fact that he is continuously overlooked for any mention proves that this is an empty award given by clueless people.
Yeah you're probably right
I know Pierce probably won’t win and Finals MVP is more important anyway, but a little recognition is all I ask for haha. A little league-wide appreciation. Because even after he won Finals MVP, the next season people treated it like it never happened.
I guess he'll have to do it again until they get it right
Another finals MVP should help the slow of thinking
Awards
I realized how clueless the people who vote for these things are when they chose Chris Paul over Rondo of first-team all-defense last year. Paul’s a great defender, of course, but if these voters actually watched the games, they’d know Rondo was leagues better.
Look, pierce is my favorite player but he’s never going to be in that top ten list. It’s not because he has too much help around him it’s just that he doesn’t have the numbers. Pierce is only averaging 19 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists which is far from mvp caliber. And the offense really doesn’t run as much through pierce like it used to and honestly i feel like pierce has looked older than allen these past two years and isn’t quite the same player. He definitely is the c’s mvp and can win the Finals MVP but he’ll have to start consistently having 30 point nights to be considered
MVP is essentially whoever has the most Points Per Game out of the top teams in the league. It’s as flawed as all those years the Cy Young in baseball went to the guy with the most Wins on a playoff team.
Pierce knows that — but he’s reached the stage in his career where he doesn’t care about it — he just wants to win. So instead of putting up points in garbage time or padding his numbers forcing shots in game’s the C’s have put away he sits back and let’s everyone else get there’s.
That’s what separates a Celtic from a Laker. If Kobe had his choice between an MVP Trophy or being a cog in a NBA Champion, he’s already shown us what he would choose. How many titles could the Laker’s have won if Kobe was willing to be PART of a team instead of THE team.
As for Pierce being in the Top 10: According to basketball-reference — using a formula that is based upon previous winners (not upon who SHOULD be MVP, but who HAS been MVP) Pierce is 8th at the moment. [Rondo is 9th oddly enough.]
Good thoughts FreeGreen
But that list, just like any other formulaic list has Bynum 4th and Lamar Odom 10th – both are not really in the conversation just saying.
And Kobe as the guy you want taking the last second shot? Please. That last lucky banking three is a good example of why he’s not the guy. I’ll take Pierce or Ray Allen over Kobe anytime. according to this list Bryant is a .25% shooter in that situation
The guy with the highest hot rate on last second shots to win might be Carmelo.
I understand this is off topic, but I wanted to throw that into the pot.
Pierce is great. The ironic thing is that Pierce’s willingness to support puts him out of the picture as Greg points out.
arghhh..
here it is….
Game-winning assists
For those who don’t click on the link, Paul Pierce leads the players listed with 9 assists to go with 32 field goal attempts. Lebron James, to his credit, has made 50 shot attempts with 6 assists, tied for second with Mike Bibby and Chauncey Billups. Kobe, unsurprisingly, has 1. Bryant does, however, lead with 5 turnovers.
Pierce is Playing Great Ball
His problem is that he’s on a team with too many other good players. So he’s really not the most valuable player in the league. That goes to LeBron, or maybe Carmello.
But MVPs don’t mean squat. What matters is rings.
Only because the messiah is grossly overpromoted and coddled by Stern & CO.
The messiah may be a more talented player than Pierce…But hasn’t accomplished what Paul has.
by Finkelskyhook on Dec 5, 2009 10:12 PM EST up reply actions
Pierce is hurt by Garnett
would like to echo the comment of Brickowski. Paul Pierce will be underappreciated and lack the necessary votes to win the MVP as long as Garnett is on the team. Others just view Garnett as the Man, not Pierce.
I always say
Pierce is like Russell and Kobe is like Chamberlain. I would bet money on Shaq never leaving if Pierce had been a Laker.
Pierce gets how to win and Kobe has to do it his way. If only it hadn’t taken so long to get quality pieces around Paul. But, he is really making the most of it.
At least we C’s fans know enough to appreciate the last of Red’s Celtics, The Captain.
As far as I`m concerned, he is deserves to be knighted...
Sir Paul Pierce!
I have him in my All-Time Celtic starting Five :
F—Bird
F—Cowens
C—Russell
G—Havlicek
G—Pierce
{Granted, some have to play somewhat out-of-position}
No Cousy?
Come on, gotta have a point guard, and Cous deserves first team Celtic regardless
Maybe as a reserve, along with...
…DJ, Sam, and Jo Jo
redeem team
2008 summer olympics where the USA basketball team won gold and were able to redeem the lost glory of winning for our country, we were represented by kobe, lebron, wade, carmelo, howard, bosh, d williams, boozer, redd, prince, CP3 and jason kidd, your MVP paul pierce was not even considered for the roster why? either because he isn’t in the same level as those mentioned or still reeling from championship euphoria. Now tell me boston fans which one has more importance, winning a gold medal for our country or an NBA championship where pierce was the finals MVP.Boston beat L.A that year for its 17 championship where kobe failed to lead the lakers in an embarrasing manner yet during that summer, kobe played with the US basketball team after a gruelling finals ! where was paul pierce? enjoying his first and definitely his last NBA championship! oh by the way with age catching up with you fave boston celtics team, two years from now boston will be headed for lottery like the spurs!!!
You do know
That no one cares what you think about our captain and MVP
by threats13 on Dec 6, 2009 3:45 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
seriously?
that is your argument? you really think the olympics are a better judge of basketball talent than the nba? and you say it is more important to a basketball player than an nba title? go ask anyone in the league. while the emotion of playing for their country may be large i guarantee you they will say an nba title is more important to them and means more as a qualification of greatness. hell, go ask the round mound of rebound or john stockton or chris mullin if they would trade their gold medal for an nba ring. i am sure to a man they would say they would take the ring and throw out the gold.
by ChainSmokingLikeDino on Dec 6, 2009 3:45 AM EST up reply actions
lebronze....
don’t come here to troll.
When Perk was asked what he thought of Howard winning the gold medal this summer, he responded: "What’s his impression of me after I won a ring?"
just for the record
he was considered…in, i believe, 2006 when they were putting together the core…so, uh, yeah. no.
grudge
pierce was on the us team but it was when he just started his career and he didnt play well with others im sure that would not be the case now but that could be why we havent seen him on a team since i forget what year it was but all i remember is he really didnt get along with the ppl he was playing with
I am guessing that with a name like "king lebronze" you are a Cavalier fan.
If this is the case then don’t you worry your Cavaliers will be headed to the lottey next year if Lebron doesn’t re-up.
Tell him to go ahead and commit to CLE. Stop holding the franchise hostage, especially after all they have done for him.
Winning Gold for America was very important and certainly deserves recognition, but at the end of the day you cannot tell me that Lebron is satisfied with the “0 for 4” showing against the Spurs in the NBA Finals a few years ago?
Unfortunately, that may be the closest that he ever gets back to the Finals. This year CLE has two teams to worry about..Boston and ORL.
And as for Captain Pierce..he has one ring, and is not finished. At least one, maybe two more are possible.
Not In My House! Denied!
by Celtics18and19 on Dec 7, 2009 10:01 AM EST up reply actions
and...
…how many times on inside the nba do you see ernie and kenny rub it in charles’ face that he doesn’t have a ring? it happens all the time. now, how many times have you seen barkley in retort say “well, kenny, i have a gold medal and you don’t”? never. to an nba player a ring means a hell of a lot more than a gold medal.
by ChainSmokingLikeDino on Dec 6, 2009 3:48 AM EST reply actions
Great article Greg. I agree with you. Pierce is my favourite player because he is unselfish and makes the partners play better. That´s a great value. He makes just the team needs. With around 15 shoots he scores 25. Bryant needs 30 shots. By the way do you think Paul Pierce is respected enourgh by the referees? I don´t think so.
Juanjo that's a topic near and dear to my heart
We’ll sound like we’re just complaining, but I don’t believe he is. I won’t get into it too much further in fear of starting a referee war haha, but no, I don’t believe he is. Just one guy’s opinion.
Great Article
The MVP award is currently like a “beauty contest,” there is a talent portion but it doesn’t always count as much as it should Last Friday nights game at Oklahoma City showed that. Kevin Durant is a great, great shooter. Right now the rest of his game is mediocre at best. This year Paul Pierce has done what it takes to keep this team together moving forward. He has done that all season consistently. Other members of this team done it during some games but none with Paul’s consistency. Not to pick on anyone since the choice of an MVP is so subjective, but when I read a comment like Who’s above, I wonder what Who considers MVP level. Is it just making a lot of flashy shots or is it taking each game and doing what it takes to help your team win that particular game. To me the beauty of Paul’s game this year is looking at each particular game and deciding what his team needs to win this game and the doing it. Exhibit A was his game against current pretender Kevin Durant. Paul held his own in shooting, but did so many more other things including making his team mates better.
Sure, if the vote werer held today, I believe that Paul should get consideration for the MVP. but I don’t care if he gets it and I’m sure he doesn’t either. In my view that’s at least one measure of whether any candidate is even worthy of consideration. It means that the team comes first. Go Green.
I have to disagree with Paul Pierce being considered for MVP
The Celtics have 2 MVP’s on this team and their not part of the big three. Rajon Rondo & Kendrick Perkins are the C’s Most Valuable Players. How Rondo goes, the team goes, and Perkins is Irreplaceable by any other player on this roster.
The arguments against PP are b.s.
If the central argument against Paul is that he’s got too much help then why did Bird win MVPs from ‘84 to ’86, when he had not only Chief/McHale (which right there blows away all of today’s frontcourts) but also Maxwell, DJ, and finally Walton in ’86?
Likewise, the same can be said for Magic in ‘87,’89, & ’90 as if Kareem-Thompson, Worthy, Cooper, and Scott were chump change.
Good Article and I agree
Paul Pierce definitely needs to be on this list…no disrespect to Joe Johnson or Brandon Roy, but IMO Pierce could slide easily into their spots. I have not taken time to compare their stats but I know that Pierce cannot be that far behind those two.
And I do know for a fact that he is a better and more experienced defender than those two.
But knowing Pierce, he doesn’t care. All he wants is Title 18 (Maybe 19)?
Not In My House! Denied!
not a cavalier fan
opps boston fans! if you thick im rooting for lebron james and trying disregard paul pierce being an MVP!! think again, im using the screen name king lebronze more as an insult rather than a fan trying to project how good james is! if you study your metalurgical terms bronze means a poor third so mind you i’m not trying to project james as more dominant than your MVP PP. I’m just pleading my argument that paul pierce is not at a level with KG that if you ask me without KG and ray allen joining the celtics, pierce would just be one of the guys in a celtic uniform and we know that before those two join the team, boston was’nt even a playoff bound team and with pierce leading there was no way boston would reached the finals. at the moment, the key to celtics return to iwinning the championship is how well rajon rondo carries this ballclub
im back!
SAD TO SAY THOUGH THAT IT IS RAJON RONDO THAT KEEPS THE CELTICS WINNING AND NOT PAUL PIERCE! RONDO DESERVES TO BE THEIR MVP !!!
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