Parish says Pierce is best offensive player celtics ever had

[Bankshot]

I agree with Tommy, Bob Ryan and Parish.

Based upon what?

Based on the arguments they made.  I agree with their arguments.

I didn't see where Tommy said Paul was the best offensive player to ever play on the C's.  I would be interested to read the exact quote for context. I suspect he went the route of more versatile which means he can dunk..

Also anyone subscribing to this ridiculous notion must assume that Larry's excellent defense (lol) is the reason he's a top 5 player of all time and Pierce is just barely a top 50 player of all time.  

Let's get real here.  They aren't even close as offensive players and Pierce is neck and neck with Larry (rings,multiple MVPS) as my favorite C off all time.

Bird
Russell
Hondo
McHale
Cousy
Pierce (When he gets the all time scoring leader and another ring (this season) he may rise to 3rd or 4th, IMO).

 

All they're saying is that Paul can score in more ways.  In no way are they saying Paul is better than Bird.  I don't think Paul is that guy anymore though.  In his prime he was.

[2short]

Pierce has to be considered one the most rounded offensive players in celtics history ie. how many different ways he can score
in no order pierce, bird, mchale, cousy, hondo, cowens, tommy
However if anyone thinks Pierce is on the same plane as bird they are incorrect.  Larry offensively was in the elite all time nba group, jordan magic wilt baylor west
A players passing is part of offensive game, Bird is way ahead of PP in that category.

[Meadowlark_Scal]

Well, I'd say that even professional people still insert some personal feelings into their conversation about people.  And they sometimes only focus on who is current. PP is a great player, who does a lot, sometimes with a little. But he isn't the leader bird was, nor the scorer. Bird was the model player / leader, example for what a player should be. Mr Parrish prob didn't get along as well with bird and does with pp, so it makes it easier to compare them, and maybe in the conversation...you know how it can be when you get to talking freely, you might carry on...but what happens to professional people like the chief, they write every word, and you can't go back to fix it, and they might not write your corrections, or ask you if you wanted to..the chief seems to be a great guy, and he does know hoop, and talent...pp and bird are sooo diff in styles, it is hard to compare them, but if age were the same, and playing..bird was really a better all around player.he could always score, pass to someone to have them score, draw a double team and hurt the other team with it, and shoot the lights out.....pp has a lot of good points too, a lot..but he isn't better than bird.

[BballTim]

I'd much rather compare Pierce against the players of his era, but maybe that's just me.  They played in the same rule set, similar pace, against the same competition, etc.  The NBA used to be much more talented when Bird played, though I'd say it's back to being that talented now and in the near future.

Agreed.  I really didn't like a recent article (about a month or so ago in some newspaper) comparing LBJ to Larry Bird.  There have been a lot of changes in officiating over the years that makes comparisons really difficult.  I'd like to see how good of a player LBJ is if there was no hand check rule (answer, he'd look a lot worse than Larry).

I don't think LeBron would be affected too much by the hand check rule, he's so much stronger than anyone guarding him.

  It's all not about using the hand check to physically restrain a player's movement. It's much easier to move with them and stay in front of them because it's easier to know where they're going when you have a hand on their hip.

1.  Pierce is great, definitely the best Celtic of the past 20 years, but he is no Larry.  Honestly, to even compare the two is, to me, baffling.

2.  LBJ still has a ways to go to get to Bird's status, but to say that LBJ would've been completely torn apart by hand checking, conveniently ignoring the fact that he is regularly doubled just inside the 3 point line (which Larry/MJ never had to deal with) is a bit short-sighted to me.  Because of LBJ's physical potential, we should all reserve judgment until his career is over.  His potential ceiling is so high.  That being said, I don't expect he will be in the top echelon of players (Magic/Larry/MJ) when it's all said and done.

  LBJ wouldn't be torn apart by the hand check rule, but he would be at least somewhat less effective, and he's already (as you state) a level below Bird. And keep in mind you're talking about the potential ceiling of a guys who's been in the league (and starting) for 7 or so years.

[Meadowlark_Scal]

I forgot about that hand checking...that did make it tighter..it allowed people to get on you more, a lot more contact..it is really a pain when someone puts their hands on you, especially when it is legal, considering that they do it 90% more than is allowed...

[Chelm]

As I also stated, to LBJ's credit, he can be freely doubled and tripled.  I've never been totally sold that the greatest scoring guards have it so much easier now then they did 10+ years ago.

[Boris Badenov]

Here's one way to think about it. You are coaching the last 5 minutes of Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and the PG/SG/PF/C positions are already set. For your small forward you can pick either LB or PP - and they are only on the floor for offensive possessions (in other words, their defensive ability is irrelevant, to get at the "offensive player" component).

Who do you want on the team?

[Birdbrain]

I agree with Tommy, Bob Ryan and Parish.

Based upon what?

Based on the arguments they made.  I agree with their arguments.

I didn't see where Tommy said Paul was the best offensive player to ever play on the C's.  I would be interested to read the exact quote for context. I suspect he went the route of more versatile which means he can dunk..

Also anyone subscribing to this ridiculous notion must assume that Larry's excellent defense (lol) is the reason he's a top 5 player of all time and Pierce is just barely a top 50 player of all time.  

Let's get real here.  They aren't even close as offensive players and Pierce is neck and neck with Larry (rings,multiple MVPS) as my favorite C off all time.

Bird
Russell
Hondo
McHale
Cousy
Pierce (When he gets the all time scoring leader and another ring (this season) he may rise to 3rd or 4th, IMO).

 

All they're saying is that Paul can score in more ways.  In no way are they saying Paul is better than Bird.  I don't think Paul is that guy anymore though.  In his prime he was.

Yes more well rounded but, that really doesn't mean anything.  Who performed the best is how it should be ranked.  Larry's stats will go down as the greatest in history.  Dude was shooting 50% while averaging 29 a game.  Paul could never do that even when he had lift.  And that's not even bringing passing into the equation.

[BballTim]

All they're saying is that Paul can score in more ways.  In no way are they saying Paul is better than Bird.  I don't think Paul is that guy anymore though.  In his prime he was.

  I wouldn't have any problem with the claim that Bird could score in more ways that Pierce, but what are the ways that Pierce can score that Bird couldn't? Pierce probably gets to the hole a little easier than Bird did and, due to his bulkier frame, is better at drawing contact on his medium range game but Bird could make a lot of different shots that Paul would never attempt.

[2short]

Here's one way to think about it. You are coaching the last 5 minutes of Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and the PG/SG/PF/C positions are already set. For your small forward you can pick either LB or PP - and they are only on the floor for offensive possessions (in other words, their defensive ability is irrelevant, to get at the "offensive player" component).

Who do you want on the team?

passing bird easily
offensive rebounds bird easily
free throws bird easily
clutch close
inside game bird easily
mid range bird
outside close

[Tr1boy]

I respect PArish but is he nuts? He witnessed "magic" on how many nights and he thinks PP is better than even Bird?

Bird was considered in the same level as Magic, Isiah thomas, Olojuwon, Bryant (guys just underneath Jordan)

Pierce is probably a level or two below Bird

[BballTim]

I respect PArish but is he nuts? He witnessed "magic" on how many nights and he thinks PP is better than even Bird?

Bird was considered in the same level as Magic, Isiah thomas, Olojuwon, Bryant (guys just underneath Jordan)

Pierce is probably a level or two below Bird

  No, Bird and Magic are on that level above Isaiah and Kobe, on the Jordan level. Get serious.

[ManUp]

I'm bias towards Pierce, but I respect Bird a lot.

I think Pierce is a more able scorer.

I think Bird was better offensive player who knew how to use his teammates.

[Change]

As a scorer, Pierce will surpass Bird next season in Points. So I don't know if that can be a debated anymore. I think Pierce would kill Bird one-on-one game.

[GreenFaith1819]

Well, more proof that Paul Pierce, while an extremely talented player, one of my faves of all time, etc - was not quite as gifted scoring-wise as Larry, IMO.

Another poster a few months ago posted a youtube video of Larry lighting Dominique Wilkin's Hawks up for 60 points..and he makes it look easy. This video reminds me of the scoring binges that Michael would go on at times:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzyiEDeRrK4

This is the condensed version...if you check out the full footage on the same page, he was hitting all sorts of shots - open, guarded, off screens, you name it.

Pierce is a Beast all his own, but Larry was, in the quotes of Shane Battier when he was asked about guarding Kobe Bryant, "A Different Animal."

Someone should've had a Fire Extinguisher nearby for the man...