Has Pierce really changed all that much?

[Truth Hurts]

It still seems to me that Paul does not get his just due. Could it be possible that he is still underrated, after what just happened?

I'm so sick of hearing writers say that Pierce has changed his game so much, and he used to be selfish...blah..blah..blah....Really, has he changed all that much? I believe he has steadily improved, like every other great player approaching 30 yrs old. If you look at the raw numbers, 2002 was when Pierce's assist totals went up a lot. This was a big step for him, and those assist totals have remained this way to this day. Then when Doc got here, his FG% went up, and has stayed that way. This is the normal progression of any superstar. Was Pierce ever really a selfish player? What have I been watching for the last 10 years? His passing has improved, and his shot selection has improved. That is normal development. It's amazing that he has progressed the way he has with the crap he has been surrounded by. He took that 2002 team on his back and carried them to within two wins of the Finals. Ainge immediately dismantled that team, and began the long, arduous task of rebuilding.

Pierce just outplayed Lebron and Kobe in playoff series. That is an undeniable fact. These two are considered the best players in the world. So what is it about them that makes them so much better than the guy who just outplayed them? Pierce outplayed Kobe on the biggest stage, and locked down on defense in game 4 and basically won the series that night. Pierce matched baskets with Lebron in the biggest game of his life, and stole the ball from him at probably the most crucial, precarious moment of the entire playoffs.

Does Pierce have to win a couple more titles before he is finally recognized the way he should be?

[wdleehi]

Pierce has changed.   He always had the talent.  But in the past few seasons, he has grown greatly in terms of leadership and maturity.   That made him a better player. 

[Truth Hurts]

Pierce has changed.   He always had the talent.  But in the past few seasons, he has grown greatly in terms of leadership and maturity.   That made him a better player. 

I completely agree with all that. I just dislike this perception that up until KG and Ray got here, Paul was this out-of-control selfish player who completely changed overnight into the player he is now. He didn't go from Allen Iverson to Magic Johnson overnight because those guys got here. He has steadily imrpoved and matured over the last few years (like any great player in his mid-late 20s) and when Ainge finally surrounded him with championship caliber players, he polished his all around game and leadership to take his game to another level.

Sometimes it just seems to me that if you believe all the writers, he was JR Rider for 9 years before this season.....then he magically transformed into the elite player he is today.

[Roy Hobbs]

I think Pierce has changed.

Offensively, he's a lot less willing to force shots.  He's more deferential to teammates now.  That's not really a criticism of Pierce; our offense was based upon isos for him, whereas now we're seeing a lot more pick-and-roll, more plays run for other players, etc.  Also, previously we didn't have anybody nearly as good as Paul to take the big shots, whereas now of course we do.

Defensively, Paul is light and day from where he has been over the past three seasons.  Pierce had become *very* lazy on the defensive end, to the point of being considered a poor defender.  He really turned that around this year.

Lastly, in terms of leadership, Paul showed increased maturity in the playoffs.  There were a few times when he could have lost his cool, and didn't.  That's a sign of change and growth to me.

[albas89]

Pierce has changed.   He always had the talent.  But in the past few seasons, he has grown greatly in terms of leadership and maturity.   That made him a better player. 

I agree, but generally I believe that, forr example, he always had some good defensive awareness, he has just been lacking of motivation for some years!!another example, the assists! I don't think he has been so selfish for the last few years(before this season), he would have more assists if he had some better teammates! This season's stats prove that!!

Anyway, I think it's a matter of circumstances, Paul was an elite player,always...

[Rondo2287]

He said yesterday thats its alot easier for him to pass to proven teamates like Ray, Eddie, and Kevin than passing it to kids just out of high school or one or two years of college.  I think this was a huge factor in his decision making changing from the last few years to this year. 

[Reyquila]

Pierce has become a better all around player and a VOCAl leader, something he was not before.

[indeedproceed]

So you guys think Pierce is still the same 'ol G, but hes been low key? Hated on by most these guys with no cheese? No deals and no G's? No house and no keys? No boats no snow-mobiles and no ski's?

[Bankshot]

He said yesterday thats its alot easier for him to pass to proven teamates like Ray, Eddie, and Kevin than passing it to kids just out of high school or one or two years of college.  I think this was a huge factor in his decision making changing from the last few years to this year. 

Doesn't this prove though that he always had that game, but was never able to show it all due to the cast around him?  We've seen it in spurts in the games that the role players stepped up, which weren't all that often.  I do think that he has matured and grown up.  I think his overall game has improved somewhat due to maturity and being in his prime (which is when almost all players are at their best), but mostly he's just able to show more of what he can do due to the cast around him.

[Chief]

Pierce has changed.   He always had the talent.  But in the past few seasons, he has grown greatly in terms of leadership and maturity.   That made him a better player. 

I agree, but generally I believe that, forr example, he always had some good defensive awareness, he has just been lacking of motivation for some years!!another example, the assists! I don't think he has been so selfish for the last few years(before this season), he would have more assists if he had some better teammates! This season's stats prove that!!

Anyway, I think it's a matter of circumstances, Paul was an elite player,always...

You hit the nail on the head. Paul was motivated again. Great players like Russell, Bird, Magic, and Jordan never lacked motivation. Hopefully KG desire will have rubbed off, not just this season, but forever.

[Birdbrain]

He's matured with Fatherhood and all but, the cast around him has always been the bigger issue.  Paul has never been a guy that needed to be the scorer.  And yeah his defense wasn't as good but, again it has more to do with the players around him and all that he's been asked to burden.  He's always been a willing passer but, let's be honest passing to Tony Battie is bit different than Passing to KG.

I'm just thankful that he proved Danny right and he was someone you could build around.  I believed in him through all the lean years and it paid off big time.

[LB3533]

I think Paul Pierce has been basically the same type of player since the back half of the 2000-2001 season.

He wasn't the same type of leader however. In that regard, the leadership department, Paul has changed.

Paul was reluctant to be the man of a sinking ship's lead captain.

It is understandable somewhat, for a younger player...having already some type of success to go against the waves of negativity.

If you look at Paul's offense, his shooting percentages was down when his talent around him was not up to snuff. His shots, in turn, stayed high.

The reverse happened with both when he got more talent around him.

And on the defensive side of the ball...I would not have called Paul lazy the last couple years...he was just too burned out doing everything else for this team that he had nothing much left on the defensive end.

[td450]

The difference is that he kept his cool and kept his focus at all the critical moments. Pierce has had some bad moments where he's lost his cool at some critical times, such as the Pacer series a few years ago.

A great example was the offensive foul Bennett Salvatore called in the Detroit series, stealing a possible 4 point play at a critical moment. It was an incredibly bad call, but he didn't say a word, and the C's hung tough and won a huge game.

[Rondo2287]

Doesn't this prove though that he always had that game, but was never able to show it all due to the cast around him?  We've seen it in spurts in the games that the role players stepped up, which weren't all that often.  I do think that he has matured and grown up.  I think his overall game has improved somewhat due to maturity and being in his prime (which is when almost all players are at their best), but mostly he's just able to show more of what he can do due to the cast around him.

The question was not has he always had the game.  It was has he changed as a player, and the answer is yes.  The fact that he now has a better supporting case enabled him to change his play and become a more effective player like we all knew he could. 

[BudweiserCeltic]

Sure, Pierce has changed, but I question a lot the degree of change that is being alluded to by the media and many others.