Don't let Pierce's game today fool you!

[jdpapa3]

Pierce is the youngest of the big 3 and was still putting up great performances last season so it is not ridiculous to suggest that he still "has it." I still think it's time to move on from this era and to pick up assets to move forward with.

[Junkyard Dawg]

It is time to blow this thing up. I am glad that Danny realizes it. I am glad that the ownership appear to agree as well. This is the perfect time to send him packing if you are going to do it because maybe we can get a GM to believe that he has enough in the tank to push them over the top. When Ray gets back and recovered from that ankle we can start shopping him. KG is likely to be a tougher guy to get rid of since he is definitely the most beat down of the three.

Definitely!  Definitely!  Definitely!

Because it makes MUCH more sense to ignore the fantastic season Pierce had last year and focus on the last 10 games or so.  Definitely, what Kool-Aid are C's fans drinking to think a guy who just scored 35 and nearly dropped a triple double could still carry a championship contender?  Pierce is DONE!  Much better idea to get rid of our championship winners for a bunch of question marks, and anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional.  Because building a championship team is pretty much as easy as fantasy drafting.  Come on, people, wake up!

Seriously though, I hate to break it to folks, but we will see plenty more games like this from Paul Pierce as the season goes on, barring an injury or a trade.  Yes he's in decline, but he is still a force, and is a better basketball player than 95% of the players in the league.  Sorry.

[jiriwelsch]

I second that! he's durable and is the only future HOF on this team that can create his own shot and be clutch when we need him.  Pierce in anything but Green I just can't see.

Pierce is the youngest of the big 3 and was still putting up great performances last season so it is not ridiculous to suggest that he still "has it." I still think it's time to move on from this era and to pick up assets to move forward with.

[snively]

Hopefully it fools the Pacers

I know that Pierce has been linked to the Pacers a fair bit over the last few days but I doubt that they would be interested in taking him on.

They have cap space at the moment but they also have contract extensions for Roy Hibbert and George Hill on the horizon and then extensions for Hansbrough and Collison the summer after (+ David West's deal expires that summer and he will need to be re-signed or replaced). They can afford Pierce's contract now but they'll have a real problem paying everyone involved next year and more so again the year after.

It's not like the Pacers are rolling in money over there. They've been losing huge money for years. I don't think Indiana can make that type of financial outlay.

I think the idea is to swap Granger for Pierce.  They make a similar amount of money for the duration of their contracts. 

[Celtics18]

Nevermind not trading Paul Pierce for the sake of loyalty and sentimentality.  How about we hang on to him because he's one of the premiere players in the game?  

[pearljammer10]

yawn

[Change]

Thank God Consensus disagrees. For those of you so in infatuated with  "blowing it up" suggestion find another team to root for. May I interest you in New Orleans Hornets, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, or Detroit Lions.

[EJPLAYA]

It is time to blow this thing up. I am glad that Danny realizes it. I am glad that the ownership appear to agree as well. This is the perfect time to send him packing if you are going to do it because maybe we can get a GM to believe that he has enough in the tank to push them over the top. When Ray gets back and recovered from that ankle we can start shopping him. KG is likely to be a tougher guy to get rid of since he is definitely the most beat down of the three.

Definitely!  Definitely!  Definitely!

Because it makes MUCH more sense to ignore the fantastic season Pierce had last year and focus on the last 10 games or so.  Definitely, what Kool-Aid are C's fans drinking to think a guy who just scored 35 and nearly dropped a triple double could still carry a championship contender?  Pierce is DONE!  Much better idea to get rid of our championship winners for a bunch of question marks, and anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional.  Because building a championship team is pretty much as easy as fantasy drafting.  Come on, people, wake up!

Seriously though, I hate to break it to folks, but we will see plenty more games like this from Paul Pierce as the season goes on, barring an injury or a trade.  Yes he's in decline, but he is still a force, and is a better basketball player than 95% of the players in the league.  Sorry.

Never said Pierce was DONE. I said that he is on the downhill slide and that games like this are going to be farther and fewer between. If you would like to wait until PP is 99% done and then try and trade him be my guest, however that will be like going out and trying to get someone to give you ANYTHING for Jermaine O'Neal right now.

If you have accepted the fact that this team isn't going anywhere this year, and that the Big 3 are no longer good enough to make you legit contenders, then the time to act is now with the 2 chips that you have that someone would actually give you you something for. That is Ray and Paul. KG won't bring you anything. Rondo is deemed at this point too valuable to trade away unless you get BIG returns for him which obviously other teams weren't willing to do.

You have to face reality and the fact is that we have basically ZERO chance of competing with this squad. Getting something for PP while he is still a commodity versus waiting until he is mostly expired is the way to do that. If we follow the majority of people on here's ideas we will end up back in the 90's and most of the 2000's again. Lottery pickers with no extra chips to improve with. Trading these two away at least reduces the time it will take to be contenders again. Luckily Danny and the owners seem to agree with me versus the majority on here!

[33_Larry Legend_33]

What if it's just his heel that's caused the slide?  What if, upon getting better, he gets that extra hop in his giddy-up and is able to create separation, which enables the space to create cleaner shots?

What if all this is pre-mature, and that once healthy, Pierce does remain a legitimate threat?

I think some may look foolish who write PP off too soon...  Personally, I'm not ready to make that call yet.  I still believe he's got some good ball in the tank provided he gets his legs and health back...

[ManUp]

I don't think this game was fools gold at all. IMHO, Pierce clearly isn't done. He can still net you 17+ points per game. However if your asking PP to consistently create for himself and other like he did tonight and has done in the past you'll end up very disappointed.

[EJPLAYA]

What if it's just his heel that's caused the slide?  What if, upon getting better, he gets that extra hop in his giddy-up and is able to create separation, which enables the space to create cleaner shots?

What if all this is pre-mature, and that once healthy, Pierce does remain a legitimate threat?

I think some may look foolish who write PP off too soon...  Personally, I'm not ready to make that call yet.  I still believe he's got some good ball in the tank provided he gets his legs and health back...

Then what?! He's going to be able to carry this team to the playoffs and a first round ouster?! That is exactly the point. I hope other GM's think like you and are willing to give more up to get him. Otherwise we aren't going to get anything of value for him.

No matter which is correct though, he can't carry this team to the conference finals let alone a championship, so let's get some value on him so we don't spend the next 20 years wallowing in the cellar.

[Celtics18]

What if it's just his heel that's caused the slide?  What if, upon getting better, he gets that extra hop in his giddy-up and is able to create separation, which enables the space to create cleaner shots?

What if all this is pre-mature, and that once healthy, Pierce does remain a legitimate threat?

I think some may look foolish who write PP off too soon...  Personally, I'm not ready to make that call yet.  I still believe he's got some good ball in the tank provided he gets his legs and health back...

Then what?! He's going to be able to carry this team to the playoffs and a first round ouster?! That is exactly the point. I hope other GM's think like you and are willing to give more up to get him. Otherwise we aren't going to get anything of value for him.

No matter which is correct though, he can't carry this team to the conference finals let alone a championship, so let's get some value on him so we don't spend the next 20 years wallowing in the cellar.

Who exactly are you looking to trade Paul Pierce for?  If it's draft picks and cap space, I'm not buying that Danny has any intentions of making a trade like that.  If it's for a younger player who Danny sees as a part of the future, I don't really see any decent trades that fit that bill.

My guess is that Paul Pierce stays a Celtic.

[ianboyextreme]

Paul Pierce definetly still has it. This game was an effect of him getting back into game shape and relying on the moves he has used his whole career, nit just bulldozing his way to the basket. There is no reason paul pierce would fall off all of a sudden especially because he was never a player that relied on athleticism. Paul has always relied on finesse and moves to score. Those things never go away, so while Paul will not have games like this everyday, he is back in game shape and is still a force as is Manu Ginobli, also 34.

[ACF]

[FallGuy]

Paul Pierce definetly still has it. This game was an effect of him getting back into game shape and relying on the moves he has used his whole career, nit just bulldozing his way to the basket. There is no reason paul pierce would fall off all of a sudden especially because he was never a player that relied on athleticism. Paul has always relied on finesse and moves to score. Those things never go away, so while Paul will not have games like this everyday, he is back in game shape and is still a force as is Manu Ginobli, also 34.

Agreed. I don't think Pierce has lost anything. I think we'll be pretty sure of that by season's end.