Paul Pierce Appreciation Thread

[Celtics Fan]

He was tremendous vs Orlando. After Lebron, it must have been such a relief for Paul to play aginst what Magic had to offer. I still cannot forget all the negative PP threads during the Cavs series.

All the negetives, that was wrong. Because he did his job chasing and guarding LBJ and believe it or not that take alot out of you on the offensive end. And he finally got his game going too. I always said that P2 was just as elite as Wade, Kobe, Lebron, he just doesnt do it with flash, he an real odl school throw back taht equal a BOSTON CELTIC.

[gar]

His defense was under appreciated and his rebounding was incredible last night. Just amazing how big he can play when he wants to. He is sneaky fast and sneaky long and all heart. He is the truth.

[Carhole]

Thanks for everyone that has responded maybe the thread will pick up some steam where people can mention specific performances.

I think Paul is stuck b/c people have let the stink of playing with horrific teammates stick to him. He is the only celtic champion who had to play with awful teammates in his prime. People assume it was on him. People truly believe that VC was better than him and McGrady and even players like stackhouse for a period of time which is just ridiculous.

The number of times I have heard that PP was the captain of the worst Celtics team in X number of years and part of the 19 game losing streak (he only played in 4 of those games) that KG and Ray turned the ship around is ridiculous.

That 07 team was awful. They were 4 and 34 without paul and 20-24 with him. He took a team with a 10% winning percentage and with his presence made them almost 500.


During that season I also read on here, many times that we should trade paul because (and I quote) "gerald green can give us what PP does if we just play him". No comment on these boards may have ever infuriated me more, I literally had to stay off the boards for a month to calm down.


He took mark blount, ricky davis and a washed up gary payton to a 3 seed. He took 20 shots for 20 points toine, kenny anderson, erik williams and tony battie to the ECF. He has the NBA record for fts made in a playoff game without a miss (21-21) when he was busy eviscerating Ron Artest on the Pacers.


Two uncontrollabe things that completely changed his time as a Celtic. First if he had a 40 inch vert he would receive twice as much credit which says a ton about the average NBA fan now a days. Secondly If we had not gotten the shaft on the Duncan lottery we probably still could have gotten pierce with the 10th pick that next year and maybe had Duncan and PP togeter for 12 years.....what a different world it could have been.


But I do like the way it played out. He stuck it out, busted his ass was rewarded with strong teammates and a good coach and has stepped up to be a key two way player on a great team and seems to really appreciate it. It all works out in the end and it looks like he will have shot number two at his boyhood favorite team starting Thursday.

Lets beat those purple and gold clowns for the 10th time and make them an under 500 team in nba finals!

[Brendan]

Pierce is a warrior -

1. Coming back from the stabbing
2. Coming back from the teeth
3. The 76ers game the year they went to the ECF where he just destroyed AI
4. The Nets game where his shot wasn't falling so he just went to the hole every time

What hurts Pierce is:

1. He never was seen as a super star (not a flashy dunker)
2. He made numerous stupid statements (incl. the taped jaw thing)
3. People associate him with Antoine and Pitino (not his fault)
4. Some bad teams

I can forgive the valid complaints (his bad attitude at times), which I always took as passion bubbling through - which I prefer in a star over the fake nice guy persona guys like Kobe and Dwight have.

He's my favorite Celtic all time.

[Bahku]

I've been the biggest "Truth" fan since the day I signed on here, (Dec, '07?, tho' I was gone a year), so I guess my past flood of pro-Pierce posts, Paul Pierce worship threads, borderline obnoxious "Truth is the ultimate 'team' player" replies, massive quantities of TP rewards given out for pro-Pierce posts, and endless posting of Paul Pierce graphics, say more than I could sum up here, and will have to speak for themselves.

(Definite TP's to you for all of these posts, here, too!)

[CoachBo]

Thanks for everyone that has responded maybe the thread will pick up some steam where people can mention specific performances.

I think Paul is stuck b/c people have let the stink of playing with horrific teammates stick to him. He is the only celtic champion who had to play with awful teammates in his prime. People assume it was on him. People truly believe that VC was better than him and McGrady and even players like stackhouse for a period of time which is just ridiculous.

The number of times I have heard that PP was the captain of the worst Celtics team in X number of years and part of the 19 game losing streak (he only played in 4 of those games) that KG and Ray turned the ship around is ridiculous.

That 07 team was awful. They were 4 and 34 without paul and 20-24 with him. He took a team with a 10% winning percentage and with his presence made them almost 500.


During that season I also read on here, many times that we should trade paul because (and I quote) "gerald green can give us what PP does if we just play him". No comment on these boards may have ever infuriated me more, I literally had to stay off the boards for a month to calm down.


He took mark blount, ricky davis and a washed up gary payton to a 3 seed. He took 20 shots for 20 points toine, kenny anderson, erik williams and tony battie to the ECF. He has the NBA record for fts made in a playoff game without a miss (21-21) when he was busy eviscerating Ron Artest on the Pacers.


Two uncontrollabe things that completely changed his time as a Celtic. First if he had a 40 inch vert he would receive twice as much credit which says a ton about the average NBA fan now a days. Secondly If we had not gotten the shaft on the Duncan lottery we probably still could have gotten pierce with the 10th pick that next year and maybe had Duncan and PP togeter for 12 years.....what a different world it could have been.


But I do like the way it played out. He stuck it out, busted his ass was rewarded with strong teammates and a good coach and has stepped up to be a key two way player on a great team and seems to really appreciate it. It all works out in the end and it looks like he will have shot number two at his boyhood favorite team starting Thursday.

Lets beat those purple and gold clowns for the 10th time and make them an under 500 team in nba finals!

Pierce has been the favorite whipping boy of the Internet masses dating back to the days when we surrounded him with garbage mid-decade, despite the fact that he's CLEARLY one of the franchise's all-time greats - defensively and offensively.

Even a couple of days ago, there were absurd posts on here claiming Pierce blew the final shot in regulation in Game 4 when it was clear - and publicly stated by Rivers and other players - that the others on the floor botched the iso call and ran to him, making it easy for Orlando to surround him.

It's the Internet: If it doesn't work, it's Pierce's fault. If it does work, it's someone else's credit. It's the curiously illogical mindset of the casual Celtics fan - if it went bad, it has to be the Captain's fault.

Pierce is the backbone of the good Celtics, the same way he was the backbone of the awful Celtics when we were collecting failures and role players to put around him.

And his number belongs in the rafters.

[GreenFaith1819]

Nice Post, Carhole.

I am curious in your 3rd paragraph, though. Since I've been a member of the Blog (Oct09), I've encountered maybe One or Two folks here on the Blog that hated Paul, and those weren't even regular posters.

[GreenFaith1819]

He has certainly had an interesting career here. Paul took Boston to the brink of the NBA finals just a few years ago when he and Antoine teamed up to form the Dynamic Duo.

I remember that series vs NJ vividly..I remember no single Pacer being able to stop Paul in that Indy series as well, 7-8 yrs ago.

I think that a Lot of the perceived dislike of Paul may have come from him trying to fill the Large shoes of Larry and the Big Three.

Paul was here during the Lean Years, too. There was such a cloud over this organization from the Bias and Lewis Tragedies, and I am sure he had to try and take a lot of that pressure on himself to bring Celtics Pride back.

Paul has been here a Long Time - I remember seeing him as the bright Star among some good players we had back in the late 90's and 00's, but we could never quite get the right players around him - until the Summer of 07.

Well, all of that bad stuff that our Captain went through has now paid off - we are on the verge of our 2nd Banner in 3 years and Paul has been the Biggest part of it. We've rode his production to the Finals. Paul has overcome Wade, Lebron and the Magic.

KG and Ray have been Huge, no doubt - but our Captain has been here a Long Time.

Now we just have to take care of LA - and lo and behold it is LA..they just beat PHX.

One ring as a Celtic, versus LA, is a Great thing. Paul is now on the verge of potentially getting TWO rings as a Celtic - VS LA.

I believe that Paul's rings are so special to him - with all he's been through as a Celtic. The awesome thing with Paul is that by him winning, he has brought KG and Ray along with him, and they were/are just as deserving as him.

Again - Nice Post, Carhole and Thanks!

[LB3533]

Paul's always been the constant of this team.

Whether KG's knee was slowing him down, or Ray's shot was off, or Rondo's game was put on break...Paul's always been the consistent force and stabilizer of this team.

[Jaycelt]

It's the Internet.  If it doesn't work, it's Pierce's fault. If it does work, it's someone else's credit. It's the curiously illogical mindset of the casual Celtics fan - if it went bad, it has to be the Captain's fault.

Exactly Coach, and that's what bothers me.  Look at players like LeBron, who when his team wins it's all because of LeBron and when it loses it's all because of his teammates.
I really don't understand the mentality of people who take a team game and lay all the glory or all the blame at the feet of one player, usually because of one or two plays after 47 minutes of game time. 

[CoachBo]

People who truly understand the game know better, Jay, and they understand the incredible career Pierce had - and continues to have.

The rest of them are just misguided.

[Carhole]

Nice Post, Carhole.

I am curious in your 3rd paragraph, though. Since I've been a member of the Blog (Oct09), I've encountered maybe One or Two folks here on the Blog that hated Paul, and those weren't even regular posters.

Thanks for the response, regarding the third paragraph I didnt save the comments ha. And it wasnt all from this blog, it has been on blogs, newpaper sites, and radio.

After game 4 on WEEI i heard calls where a guy called pierce "buckner" and say that they would never want him on their team, that he loses more games than he wins etc.


He botch the final play of a game 4 where they are up 3-0 (game tied not directly leading to loss) admitted it and the next day people are calling in to compare him to bill buckner haha. That is shameful, imo

[fairweatherfan]

Paul Pierce is awesome and we will miss him dearly when he's gone.

I haven't heard that much Pierce hate though - some, and more than he deserves to be sure, but I've heard more hate for Rondo, Sheed, Davis, Tony Allen, etc. etc.  And nobody got Internet traded more often than Ray Allen.

I do think Paul is someone who won't be fully appreciated until he retires and we face the prospect of finding a young wing to replace him.  He contributes in ways that don't always get a lot of attention.

[Carhole]

Paul Pierce is awesome and we will miss him dearly when he's gone.

I haven't heard that much Pierce hate though - some, and more than he deserves to be sure, but I've heard more hate for Rondo, Sheed, Davis, Tony Allen, etc. etc.  And nobody got Internet traded more often than Ray Allen.

I do think Paul is someone who won't be fully appreciated until he retires and we face the prospect of finding a young wing to replace him.  He contributes in ways that don't always get a lot of attention.

Honestly everyone on the team has moments where they drive me insane but I am always behind them and try to be rationale.

The PP hate was so bad post game 4 that Holley and Felger on different shows comment on how ridiculous it was. Dale Arnold went as far to say that he (has no proof) but believes PP is jealous of rondo. I mean that is irresponsible.


Obviously you have been on this blog a long time, once a month there is a thread about PP's isolation and it always comes from the same contingent of people. They wait for certain things to crop up and then boom here they come with the same old stuff.

PP iso is horrible blah blah. I hate every iso at end of qtr situations, heck we watched Rondo dribble out the half in game 5 in orlando after a nice momentum shift and you read nothing about it.

Ray is a horrow show out top with a high pick and roll he does not break the 3 pt line till 10 secons left on shot clock 80% of the time.... THey all screw up and they all play great.

What I care about is all of these guys on this team bust their but and want to win before all else so I take the infuraiting and remember to bigger picture.

I just have never seen the vocal minority so ready to pounce on a player like paul who has given his career to one team and always played hard for us.

[Roy Hobbs]

Honestly, I don't see a ton of Paul Pierce hate on this blog, either.  Yes, people criticize the iso, but does that mean people hate Paul?  I mean, Doc is the one calling those plays, right?  I'd personally like to see us go away from an iso offense at the end of quarters, but that doesn't mean that I'm disrespecting Paul or his game.

WEEI is a different story.  I don't listen to the station because I think it's garbage, filled with morons who don't know the first thing about basketball.  People tell me there's a lot of Pierce criticism on there, and if true, then those people need to get a life.

I think it's fair to point out the flaws in players when they've played a bad game; every player on the team has had multiple performances where they looked terrible this season, and it's fair to mention that when decompressing after a game, in my mind.  That said, I do get the sense that at least on this blog, Pierce is easily one of the most popular guys.  He's probably not number one (Rondo seems to be everyone's favorite at the moment, and KG has a ton of fans), but he's not near the bottom, either, in my mind.