Paul Pierce not included in ESPN's top 20 players...right or wrong?

[chambers]

I'm not sure what to think.
He didn't even make the top 20, they put him in at 21.
I feel he's better than Russel Westbrook who's at number 15 and Tim Duncan who's at number 19.

I know I'd rather Paul Pierce on the floor in the fourth quarter ahead of Westbrook.

Has Pierce really dropped that far away from the 2008 finals MVP where he went toe to toe with Kobe who is ranked 7 on this list?
I think that Zac Randolph got jipped too. He is better than a few of the guys ahead of him aswell.
But back to Pierce.
I feel he could/should make the top 15 players, let alone the top 20.
ESPN p---es me off. I'll still read their crap though.

[PosImpos]

Right.  I wouldn't put anybody on the Celtics in the top 20.  However, I think ESPN was correct in putting all of the Big 4 in the top 40.

[Yogi]

   This list is mostly a popularity contest.  Pierce shouldn't be in top 20 considering his age, but honestly, I can't think of 10 guys I would have on my team given their current abilities, ahead of Pierce.  Maybe if we played for 36 min I would take Lebron over him... nah. 
   Rose is ranked way too high (Never understood the MVP hype, Lebron, Dwight, Wade, Kobe have better numbers and are elite defenders).  Even Blake Griffin and Kevin Love had a more impressive year than Derrick Rose.  The guy shoots less than 45% from the field and barely makes a third of his three point shots which doesn't prevent him from taking 5 a game.  He's a great player but there is a lot more potential in him than he has fulfilled as of today. 
  Carmelo is ranked too low.  His numbers are barely worse than Durant despite all the trade drama and switching teams.  Rondo is way better than Westbrook.  Dirk has always been underrated.  I bet he wouldn't have made top 15 in this list if he didn't just win a championship. 

[Yogi]

They should put more weight on defense, rings and heart.  But I guess I am biased because I'm a Celtics fan.

[ACF]

Doesn't matter. ESPN is all about numbers. If we made a top 5 of "smartest players", PP would be in there every single time.

[BballTim]

Right.  I wouldn't put anybody on the Celtics in the top 20.  However, I think ESPN was correct in putting all of the Big 4 in the top 40.

  Even if you don't particularly like Rondo or Pierce, if you include defense as well as everything else there aren't 20 players better than KG.

[GreenFaith1819]

Right.  I wouldn't put anybody on the Celtics in the top 20.  However, I think ESPN was correct in putting all of the Big 4 in the top 40.

  Even if you don't particularly like Rondo or Pierce, if you include defense as well as everything else there aren't 20 players better than KG.

What BBall said.

Additionally - I thought that another Sports magazine not too long ago did a player ranking...where our Big Three were in the top 15-30 players, with Ray in the top 50?

I can't recall if it was Sporting News or what.

[Celtics4ever]

I don't put much weight into what the Evil Sports Propaganda Network says.   A lot more hot air and opinions than fact and analysis being done over there.

[Moranis]

Right.  Pierce gasses badly down the stretch if he plays more then 35 minutes a game.  He has lost a step and isn't the defender he once was and it has hurt his overall offensive game.  He is still an effective scorer, rebounder, and passer, but he isn't the player he was even a few years ago.

[Celtics4ever]

Hard to beat, Father Time....

[greenpride32]

At this stage of his career he probably is no longer a top 20 player.  On top of that there are so many stars on the team that the contributions are much more spread out.  You can't just say a player is better than another, you still have to put up the stats to prove it.  Pierce really hasn't been that go to guy either late in games.  I thought he would still be capable of doing that, but I guess not.

[Inside-Out]

I'm pretty well in agreement that none of our guys are top-20 any more; they just don't have the legs/explosiveness that each of the 3 did just a few seasons ago.

But they're still all very, very good players, and top-5 easily at their respective strengths, which is why I think they could still have several years left, Ray as a 3pt threat and KG as a defensive specialist, and PP as an all-around very good player and eventual 6th man winner.

This is why we're still contenders in the way that Detroit was for so long:  we have a team of above-average to very good players that fit together perfectly, but no superstar.

Of course, most of those Detroit teams burned out in the ECF after the title season and one more Finals appearance...unfortunately, we might be heading down the same road.

[pearljammer10]

Wrong. He is way more deserving top be in top 20 than players like blake griffin and zach randolph in my opinion.

[letsgoblue86]

These rankings are a joke.  Blake Griffin at number 10? And Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, and Tim Duncan in the top 20?  I would take Pierce over most of the guys ranked 10-20.

[makaveli]

Paul deff makes the list eassyyyy