Post by BCHISTORIAN on Mar 26, 2006 0:20:45 GMT -5
www.sportsline.com/nba/story/9336928
On a gray Friday morning in Cleveland, Paul Pierce was laughing while talking with a reporter about some big-name players who might be traded this summer.
"And where will you be going?" he was asked.
"Oh, people will have me going somewhere," he said, chuckling at the expected rumors that always seem to follow him
But in this case it's important to note that Danny Ainge is not one of those "people."
He is the Boston Celtics' director of basketball operations and, as such, the man with the power to make Pierce fill out a change-of-address card.
Barring the proverbial offer he can't refuse, Ainge not only plans to keep Pierce, he's building around him -- adding pieces that will better play to his captain's strengths.
That latter fact is why Ainge was alternately apoplectic and bewildered as he drove home just after the clock had passed midnight on its way into Friday, Jan. 27. Just a few hours before, he had completed a trade with Minnesota, sending Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Marcus Banks, Justin Reed and two second-round picks to the T-Wolves for Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Olowokandi, Dwayne Jones and a first.
Yes, the C's wanted out from under Blount's contract, but the main idea here was to replace Davis, a man with a fondness for stats and dribbling, with Szczerbiak, a better outside shooter who would rather keep the ball moving than pound it into the floor.
Even though Pierce was well into his best season as a professional, the thought was that Szczerbiak was a better complement and would make Pierce more comfortable in Celtic green. So when Ainge was told that the early line on talk radio and the Internet was that the trade was just a setup for moving Pierce, he nearly splintered his cell phone.
"What do I have to do?" Ainge asked.
"We're building around Paul," he continued after getting over his ire. "That's always been the case. We had a conversation this summer and we addressed the issue, and since then it's all been a go with Paul. If this doesn't show that, then I don't know what to say. I don't know how you can interpret this any differently."
According to all involved and concerned, the aforementioned conversation was a critical turning point in the Pierce process. The Celtics had, indeed, tried to move Pierce to Portland before the draft, seeking to get in position to select Chris Paul. But that maneuver fell through, and even Pierce, who was considering his departure options in the offseason, let it be known he didn't want to go to the Trail Blazers.
After that, the Celts surveyed the market and learned that Pierce's value around the league simply wasn't as high as they knew it to be in pure basketball terms. He was coming off his best shooting season (.455) and had averaged 22.9 points on .505 shooting in the playoffs. But the Celtics had bombed out in the first round against the Pacers, with Pierce picking up technical fouls in the final two games
And considering the way he had fought new coach Doc Rivers earlier in the season on changes that ultimately helped his game, Pierce's future in Boston was in serious question
Then Pierce asked himself some questions over the summer, and he came back a different person and player. He was saying all the right things at the start, but the true tests didn't come until the Celtics suffered some nasty losses and braced for a long season. When Pierce held the locker room together during those stretches, management knew it had a guy it wanted.
"Last year was tough at times," said Rivers. "But the difference is, that wasn't who he was. He kind of went that way for a couple of years. So that's what kept the hope in us. We knew that's not who he naturally was. Raef (LaFrentz) told me that all the time. So now he's back to who he really is, and that's really nice."
Perhaps no one has been in a better position to understand Pierce's progress than LaFrentz, a teammate from their Kansas days.
"I think the way Paul is now has definitely filtered back into his game," LaFrentz said. "I said the whole time that Paul was going through a lot of changes. A lot of changes happened around him, and they may have taken him off guard.
"Paul may not have handled them in the best way at every turn. But he's normally a much happier person -- normally much easier going. He's a more likable guy than the one that has sometimes shown his face around this new staff. People are who they are, but that wasn't Paul."
The new-old Paul Pierce had no problem copping to his missteps and understanding how he has gotten past those issues.
"I know at times I wasn't always the most positive person a year ago and I didn't always lead by example," Pierce said. "But that's something you learn from. I just think it's me being more mature and growing as a player. I've been able to look at a lot of things, and I've made some changes. I know the more positive I can be with this team, the more effect I think I can have."
Speaking of the unhappiness that crept in last season, Pierce said, "That's just life, man. You want to be at a certain point in your life (and) in your career. ... And sometimes the plan that you have for yourself doesn't always work out that way, and it's an adjustment. I get frustrated with myself. I get frustrated with the team.
"But, hey, like I said, I'm human and that's all a part of life. I think this was a great summer for me. I had a chance to go home, really think about the year, how it went and what I can do to come back this year and help. ... And I'm excited about it. I'm excited about our young guys. I'm excited about what we've done here, and I'm excited about the direction we're headed in."
Others are excited about the direction in which Pierce is headed. Hall of Famer Tommy Heinsohn said this week that Pierce has a chance to be the greatest offensive player in Celtics history. And George Karl, the coach with whom Pierce butted heads at the 2002 World Championships, is now a reference on his resumé.
"Is there a more complete basketball player in the NBA?" Karl asked before Pierce went for 36 points in a 106-101 Celtics victory over Karl's Nuggets. "I mean, you could argue that he does every part of the game as well as anybody.
"I think he could get 20 rebounds if he said, 'I'm going to rebound tonight.' If he wanted to get 15 assists, I think he could get 15 assists. He kind of plays the total game. His efficiency has been incredibly improved this year. ... I just think he's more mature toward all aspects of the game."
Pierce is mature enough to know that being a part of trade rumors is a rite of the offseason for NBA stars. And with his newfound wisdom, he's better equipped to handle such vagaries -- especially when he knows his wisdom has served to solidify his standing with the Celtics
it's not everyday when a celt is the main stiry at cbs sportsline
On a gray Friday morning in Cleveland, Paul Pierce was laughing while talking with a reporter about some big-name players who might be traded this summer.
"And where will you be going?" he was asked.
"Oh, people will have me going somewhere," he said, chuckling at the expected rumors that always seem to follow him
But in this case it's important to note that Danny Ainge is not one of those "people."
He is the Boston Celtics' director of basketball operations and, as such, the man with the power to make Pierce fill out a change-of-address card.
Barring the proverbial offer he can't refuse, Ainge not only plans to keep Pierce, he's building around him -- adding pieces that will better play to his captain's strengths.
That latter fact is why Ainge was alternately apoplectic and bewildered as he drove home just after the clock had passed midnight on its way into Friday, Jan. 27. Just a few hours before, he had completed a trade with Minnesota, sending Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Marcus Banks, Justin Reed and two second-round picks to the T-Wolves for Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Olowokandi, Dwayne Jones and a first.
Yes, the C's wanted out from under Blount's contract, but the main idea here was to replace Davis, a man with a fondness for stats and dribbling, with Szczerbiak, a better outside shooter who would rather keep the ball moving than pound it into the floor.
Even though Pierce was well into his best season as a professional, the thought was that Szczerbiak was a better complement and would make Pierce more comfortable in Celtic green. So when Ainge was told that the early line on talk radio and the Internet was that the trade was just a setup for moving Pierce, he nearly splintered his cell phone.
"What do I have to do?" Ainge asked.
"We're building around Paul," he continued after getting over his ire. "That's always been the case. We had a conversation this summer and we addressed the issue, and since then it's all been a go with Paul. If this doesn't show that, then I don't know what to say. I don't know how you can interpret this any differently."
According to all involved and concerned, the aforementioned conversation was a critical turning point in the Pierce process. The Celtics had, indeed, tried to move Pierce to Portland before the draft, seeking to get in position to select Chris Paul. But that maneuver fell through, and even Pierce, who was considering his departure options in the offseason, let it be known he didn't want to go to the Trail Blazers.
After that, the Celts surveyed the market and learned that Pierce's value around the league simply wasn't as high as they knew it to be in pure basketball terms. He was coming off his best shooting season (.455) and had averaged 22.9 points on .505 shooting in the playoffs. But the Celtics had bombed out in the first round against the Pacers, with Pierce picking up technical fouls in the final two games
And considering the way he had fought new coach Doc Rivers earlier in the season on changes that ultimately helped his game, Pierce's future in Boston was in serious question
Then Pierce asked himself some questions over the summer, and he came back a different person and player. He was saying all the right things at the start, but the true tests didn't come until the Celtics suffered some nasty losses and braced for a long season. When Pierce held the locker room together during those stretches, management knew it had a guy it wanted.
"Last year was tough at times," said Rivers. "But the difference is, that wasn't who he was. He kind of went that way for a couple of years. So that's what kept the hope in us. We knew that's not who he naturally was. Raef (LaFrentz) told me that all the time. So now he's back to who he really is, and that's really nice."
Perhaps no one has been in a better position to understand Pierce's progress than LaFrentz, a teammate from their Kansas days.
"I think the way Paul is now has definitely filtered back into his game," LaFrentz said. "I said the whole time that Paul was going through a lot of changes. A lot of changes happened around him, and they may have taken him off guard.
"Paul may not have handled them in the best way at every turn. But he's normally a much happier person -- normally much easier going. He's a more likable guy than the one that has sometimes shown his face around this new staff. People are who they are, but that wasn't Paul."
The new-old Paul Pierce had no problem copping to his missteps and understanding how he has gotten past those issues.
"I know at times I wasn't always the most positive person a year ago and I didn't always lead by example," Pierce said. "But that's something you learn from. I just think it's me being more mature and growing as a player. I've been able to look at a lot of things, and I've made some changes. I know the more positive I can be with this team, the more effect I think I can have."
Speaking of the unhappiness that crept in last season, Pierce said, "That's just life, man. You want to be at a certain point in your life (and) in your career. ... And sometimes the plan that you have for yourself doesn't always work out that way, and it's an adjustment. I get frustrated with myself. I get frustrated with the team.
"But, hey, like I said, I'm human and that's all a part of life. I think this was a great summer for me. I had a chance to go home, really think about the year, how it went and what I can do to come back this year and help. ... And I'm excited about it. I'm excited about our young guys. I'm excited about what we've done here, and I'm excited about the direction we're headed in."
Others are excited about the direction in which Pierce is headed. Hall of Famer Tommy Heinsohn said this week that Pierce has a chance to be the greatest offensive player in Celtics history. And George Karl, the coach with whom Pierce butted heads at the 2002 World Championships, is now a reference on his resumé.
"Is there a more complete basketball player in the NBA?" Karl asked before Pierce went for 36 points in a 106-101 Celtics victory over Karl's Nuggets. "I mean, you could argue that he does every part of the game as well as anybody.
"I think he could get 20 rebounds if he said, 'I'm going to rebound tonight.' If he wanted to get 15 assists, I think he could get 15 assists. He kind of plays the total game. His efficiency has been incredibly improved this year. ... I just think he's more mature toward all aspects of the game."
Pierce is mature enough to know that being a part of trade rumors is a rite of the offseason for NBA stars. And with his newfound wisdom, he's better equipped to handle such vagaries -- especially when he knows his wisdom has served to solidify his standing with the Celtics
it's not everyday when a celt is the main stiry at cbs sportsline