Lot of good things in this interview with Aldridge.  There is some stuff about Avery as well in one of the other parts of the link:

http://www.nba.com/2013/news/features/david_aldridge/03/11/morning-tip-young-guard-combos-kings-sale-update-qa-with-paul-pierce/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt3b

Q AND A: PAUL PIERCE

Larry Hughes was a good basketball player. At times, he was a really good basketball player. He was so promising at one point in his career that the Cavaliers gave him $65 million to play next to LeBron James. And so it wasn't altogether crazy that, in 1998, Hughes was the eighth pick in the NBA Draft, to the 76ers. Except that the ninth pick that year was Dirk Nowitzki, and the 10th pick was Paul Pierce. Eight players -- Michael Olowokandi, Mike Bibby, Raef LaFrentz, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, the late Robert (Tractor) Traylor, Jason Williams and Hughes -- went ahead of them, but of that top 10, only the Diggler and the Truth are certain future Hall of Famers. And this season, only Pierce's Celtics are a certain playoff team, even after the loss of Rajon Rondo to a season ending ACL tear.

Players have come and gone in Boston, but Pierce is as constant a presence in the lineup on his side of town as Big Papi, aka David Ortiz, has been on his side. Pierce has put together a remarkably consistent career -- he has averaged between 18 and 26 points a game in 14 straight seasons, and has suffered only one significant injury, a stress reaction in his left foot that limited him to 47 games in 2006-07. This season may be the biggest challenge yet, with the Celtics rebuilding on the fly, losing Ray Allen to the Heat, and now playing the rest of the way without Rondo and promising rookie Jared Sullinger -- all as general manager Danny Ainge seriously explored trade talks with Pierce and Kevin Garnett right up to the trade deadline.

Yet with Pierce and KG leading the way, and Avery Bradley coming into his own, Boston remains dangerous, even as Pierce continues playing with a pinched nerve.

Me: It doesn't seem like this pinched nerve is going away.

Paul Pierce: It's something that I tweaked a couple of months ago. I remember the game, but I thought it was just a spasm. But it continued to be there. It's in the middle part of my spine, up toward my neck area. So now every time I put a shoulder kind of too hard into somebody, it gives me a pretty easy stinger down the right side of my arm. I've been trying to get treatment on it, trying to just loosen up my neck each and every day, massages, mobility, them type of things with the trainer. And it'll go away eventually.

Me: That's your game -- getting your body into people.

PP: Yeah, definitely. So I've had quite a few stingers this year, just from falling to the ground, going into people. It's pretty frustrating at times, and there's times when you wake up that you can't turn all the way to the right. So it's been tough. But I've been dealing with it.

Me: Any chance you could take a few games off to see if this thing can calm down?

PP: Well, it hasn't been to the point where it's very excruciating. It's just like annoying at times. I loosen it up every day. It's sort of like when you're eating and that little fly comes around that and bothers you. You really can't focus on what you're trying to do. But it hasn't gotten to the point where it's really excruciating.

Me: I know you're not better without Rondo. But you seem to still be an effective team without Rondo. Why is that happening?

PP: I think it has to go with the guys we have in there stepping up. Everybody has pretty much elevated their game. I think that the true character really comes out in a team when their backs are against the wall, and all the negative press and adversity is amongst you. Guys see that. And have something to prove. And I think that comes from growing up and making it to the NBA. People always said you're not going to make it, you're not going to be a very good player. So I think NBA players have always dealt with some kind of adversity, and this is just another one of those type of adversities, when you lose your best player, you lose another asset in Jared Sullinger, people really doubted you. And that's the time when you come together. Everybody elevates their game just to prove people wrong. That's something a lot of these guys have been doing their whole lives.

Me: What has the adjustment been for you on the floor? Not only did Rondo know exactly when and where you wanted the ball on the court, but you knew that he knew, and could play accordingly.

PP: I think my game is made to pretty much to play with anybody. I can do so many things off the ball, on the ball. I'm able to make that adjustment. The offense is totally different now, where there's a lot of passing, driving, kicking, screen-aways. And I think the ball literally is in one person's hand no more than two or three seconds, and the ball is moving. And so I'm able to make that adjustment. The other guys are making that adjustment. And I think it fits a lot of them quite well.

Me: I would think it's enjoyable to watch the ball move like that.

PP: It's fun. There's no pressure on me or KG to try and lead this team in scoring every night. You have a lot of guys who can step up. We've got a lot of guys that can play. It's fun to watch them get the ball and doing good things with it, because you know they're capable of it. [When] you have that great, great superstar who can put the ball in, score 30, 40 points every single night, the ball tends to stay in that person's hands. But [here] you've got about five, six guys who are capable of scoring between 15 and 20 points. So to make that extra pass, you really feel good about it, because you know these guys are capable of stepping up.

Me: How do you keep Rondo connected to the team this year?

PP: He's come around to a lot of games, pre-surgery. [Rondo had his right ACL surgically repaired Feb. 12.] He's had his surgery now, so I'm pretty sure he's been resting at home. I think he kind of stays in tune with what's going on. I'm sure he's watching a lot of games. I'm sure we'll see him in the locker room throughout the rest of the season. Maybe through phone calls and texts, guys are just keeping him involved, letting him know what we're doing on the road or where we're eating at, some of his favorite spots. So I'm sure he's going to stay connected. Once he starts rehabbing we'll see him in the weight room, doing things of that nature.

Me: I know Rondo was really involved with helping the young guys navigate being on the road and did things with them. Do you and KG take that role up with them?

PP: I mean, I think we all take that role, between me, KG, Doc [Rivers], Jet [Jason Terry], the team has come together since the injury. We know we have to if we're going to make a run. We're a little more connected through the adversity, and it's been fun. It's been a fun run so far.

Me: But even with a veteran player like Jet, you haven't been through the playoffs with him. So how do you short-circuit needing to spend years with him to build up that trust so that you can trust him this season, in the playoffs?

PP: Well, you know, Jet comes from a regimen that's been built for success. You know he's a champion. You know he was a general where he came from. It's like bringing another Army general into another platoon, and you know his resume. So you know he's been through the big wars. And there's a certain level of respect. You know what he's capable of doing. It's been an easy adjustment for Jet, just personally, off the court, on the court. If you didn't know it, you'd think that Jet has been on this team for like the last four or five years. It's crazy. His personality and the things he brings really fits into what we do around here. Like I said, if you didn't know, you'd think he'd been around here a while.

Me: When you won in '08 KG famously said 'anything is possible!' Are you carrying that to this year, especially with all the injuries?

PP: We know we're going to be a tough out, regardless. I think we're going to be that team that nobody wants to play in the playoffs. Right now we're so unpredictable. You don't know what we're capable (of). You look up and we play teams, sometimes we lose to bad teams, and then we beat the better teams. We don't know which Boston team is going to show up, and at any given moment we can get hot and beat the best of the best in the NBA. We've shown that we can beat Miami; we've shown that we can beat Oklahoma City; we've shown we can beat New York. You're talking about some of the best teams in the NBA. We're just going to continue to fly under the radar and see what happens.

Me: You want Miami again, don't you?

PP: I always thrive on wanting to play against the best. Right now, Miami's the best. It would be nice to see them in the playoffs. Winning's not easy. In order to win, you've got to see the best. And I think it would be fun for the NBA.

Me: Is there part of you that knows the clock is ticking and that you may not get too many more shots at this?

PP: Oh, definitely. I think about it every day. Who knows? This could be my last year, [or] next year. I'm just taking it day by day now. I don't know what the future holds for me, and I'm just going to enjoy the moments while I'm in them.

Me: Does part of that 'I'll show you' mentality extend to your own management?

PP: Not really. I'm 'a go out and do what I do. I'm gonna try and be the best player each and every night. Management's gonna do what they do. I have no control over that. But I feel like even at the age of 35, I'm one of the best players at my position in the game.

Me: Do you ever go to Danny and say, 'Look, we still have a shot at this. Don't break this up yet'?

PP: Not once. I think my career is gonna play out, regardless of what I say. It's been that way since the beginning. You know, I had no say in getting drafted 10th to the Celtics. I had no control in bringing the KG trade over. I feel my book is written, for some reason. I think it's going to play out for the better. And I'm just gonna put my faith in that.

Me: But you desperately want to retire a Celtic.Me: to retire a Celtic.

PP: I mean, of course. I've been here my whole life as far as basketball wise, of course. It doesn't really doesn't happen in today's NBA. You really don't see it, although you could see a few guys -- Kobe, Timmy D, Dirk Nowtizki. Those guys, there's probably a 100 percent chance they'll retire with their franchises. But, who knows? I've been in trade rumors the last two years. So you never know what can happen.