Bill Simmons reports a Pierce Rumour

[ctrey]

In an article about who should be MVP, Simmons took a paragraph or two to discuss the Coach of the Year race. Later in a footnote he plugs for Doc, writing:

For the record, I'd vote for Doc. He lost Jeff Green, Jermaine O'Neal, Chris Wilcox AND Mickael Pietrus. Danny [Ainge] tried to trade his point guard right before the season. Everyone on the team thought they were being shipped out before the deadline — and for the record, they DID explore trading the Big 3, with [Paul] Pierce coming the closest to leaving (to New Jersey for a cheaper version of what the Nets ended up paying in their incomprehensible Gerald Wallace trade). And the Celtics kept coming. I still believe Doc did an awful job from 2005 through 2007 and nobody will ever convince me otherwise. He was passable in 2008 — just passable. He was better in 2009, and 2010 was excellent. By 2012, he's clearly one of the best two or three coaches we have. He's been amazing this season. It's like anything else — the more you do something, the better you get at it. He's a really good basketball coach.

Certainly a nice plug for Doc but what interests me is the Pierce to New Jersey talk. Does anyone know anything about this? Clearly he has some inside info but I was hoping to find out more about this deal.

[Celtics18]

I agree with Simmons that Doc should be in consideration for coach of the year.  As to the speculation about trades that didn't happen, I'm just glad they didn't happen.

[Moranis]

I actually thought that Pierce, instead of Wallace, to New Jersey would have made a lot more sense for New Jersey.  Pierce is still a better all around player and he is a much bigger name.  If the goal was to make the playoffs and convince Deron to stay, than Pierce just made more sense, especially if the price was going to be cheaper.  I still do not understand at all the price New Jersey gave up for Wallace.  As Simmons said totally incomprehensible.

[CelticG1]

How is Stan van gundy not in COY discussion. That whole mess with D howard and the fact that, well, they don't have any good players on their team

[pearljammer10]

The Nets got Wallace for Okur, Shawne Williams, and a protected pick this year.

And it says we even had a cheaper version for Pierce. I wouldnt take this for Pierce i can only imagine what a cheaper deal would have involved. This would have completely sprung us into full on rebuilding mode.

[clover]

I actually thought that Pierce, instead of Wallace, to New Jersey would have made a lot more sense for New Jersey.  Pierce is still a better all around player and he is a much bigger name.  If the goal was to make the playoffs and convince Deron to stay, than Pierce just made more sense, especially if the price was going to be cheaper.  I still do not understand at all the price New Jersey gave up for Wallace.  As Simmons said totally incomprehensible.

Sounds like a deal Danny might have made--had he been able to tell Wyc with a straight face that it wouldn't hurt the team this year.

[Roy H.]

So, let's say it was Pierce for cap relief and a top-5 protected #1.

I assume the "blow it up" folks would have been all over that one?

[clover]

So, let's say it was Pierce for cap relief and a top-5 protected #1.

I assume the "blow it up" folks would have been all over that one?

I'll confess.  I probably would have taken it, presuming it included Okur and another expiring.  Then we'd have been less likely to have seen this little surge in the last couple of weeks.

[cman88]

Ainge would've been driven out of town if that happenned..I know. There's not much loyalty in sports but pierce has been loyal to this club through thick an thin...shame on danny for even thinking it

[Kane3387]

How is Stan van gundy not in COY discussion. That whole mess with D howard and the fact that, well, they don't have any good players on their team

Bc they are on their way to the 7th seed.

[Rondo2287]

So, let's say it was Pierce for cap relief and a top-5 protected #1.

I assume the "blow it up" folks would have been all over that one?

I might have been happy, it at least would have given us a clear direction going forward, though dealing pierce to a division rival would be tough.

[indeedproceed]

So, let's say it was Pierce for cap relief and a top-5 protected #1.

I assume the "blow it up" folks would have been all over that one?

Meh. I think it would've been nice if it was a West-Coast team. A top-5 protected pick and expirings is about the best you could hope for.

But in New Jersey? I'd hate to see him 4 times a year.

[manl_lui]

So, let's say it was Pierce for cap relief and a top-5 protected #1.

I assume the "blow it up" folks would have been all over that one?

I'll confess.  I probably would have taken it, presuming it included Okur and another expiring.  Then we'd have been less likely to have seen this little surge in the last couple of weeks.

If its a top 5 protected first round I would've also be tempted to make the deal

that gives us 3 first rounder, and if that was from NJ, theres a good chance they land outside of the top 5 pick (assuming Charlotte, Cleveland, Sacremento, NO and maybe Toronto having the 5 picks), but even then its a pretty big risk

other than that, I agree with Bill Simmons that Doc should be considered the COY award for all the bad luck with injuries

[fairweatherfan]

So, let's say it was Pierce for cap relief and a top-5 protected #1.

I assume the "blow it up" folks would have been all over that one?

Meh. I think it would've been nice if it was a West-Coast team. A top-5 protected pick and expirings is about the best you could hope for.

But in New Jersey? I'd hate to see him 4 times a year.

I think the blog would've gone nuclear if this deal was actually made.  It would've make the Perk Wars look like a Current Events slapfight.  Especially if the pick rolled over to next year.  Pierce in a Nets jersey and nothing to show for it but more of the one thing we have a ton of next year already.  Yuck.

[Boris Badenov]

Nice revisionist history from Simmons.

He has been bad-mouthing Doc for years. According to him, Doc was a bad coach when the Celtics had no talent (despite having won Coach of the Year earlier in his career).

Then, he was an "acceptable" coach when the Celtics won the championship (because you know, anyone can coach a good team).

Now it's indisputable that Doc is one of the top coaches in the league, so Simmons has to argue Doc made some massive improvement over the last couple of years.

That makes sense, when you consider the alternatives:
   1. After winning Coach of the Year (with an overachieving bunch of nobodies) and an NBA championship (with three veterans who needed to learn how to play together in one year), Doc all of a sudden did his homework and became a much better coach in the last two years.
     2. Bill Simmons was wrong.