Help me understand why I dislike Paul Pierce

[napolean]

For years I have disliked Paul Pierce game while other fans around the NBA and the media have all loved his game and I usually as a fan of watching this game for twenty some odd years have a pretty good understanding of talent and skill when I see it. Dont get me wrong I think Paul is a good player but ive never quite seen him as the type of player people make him out to be.

When I watch him play I see a player that looks sort of out of shape, lazy at times in his movements, running without the ball, I see a player that lacks creativity and the first step to blow by his man, I see a player that is a good player but not a great one despite what his stats say. I see Paul Pierce in the same manner of a Vince Carter who has went through his career not working hard and coasting on his god given talent and never really had that swagger and determination to be the best he could be.

What am I missing when I watch this guy play that makes me question him because I come away unimpressed everytime I watch him play with his lazy moments, and his sad attempts at drawing fouls by jumping into his man while taking jump shots.

I dont get the hype, good player but not great.

[Blazing_royale]

u said it, he's a good player not great. I don't see any "Greatness" in him either, just a good productive player. He is overrated, by the fact he is "clutch"

[bballcool34]

For years I have disliked Paul Pierce game while other fans around the NBA and the media have all loved his game and I usually as a fan of watching this game for twenty some odd years have a pretty good understanding of talent and skill when I see it. Dont get me wrong I think Paul is a good player but ive never quite seen him as the type of player people make him out to be.

When I watch him play I see a player that looks sort of out of shape, lazy at times in his movements, running without the ball, I see a player that lacks creativity and the first step to blow by his man, I see a player that is a good player but not a great one despite what his stats say. I see Paul Pierce in the same manner of a Vince Carter who has went through his career not working hard and coasting on his god given talent and never really had that swagger and determination to be the best he could be.

What am I missing when I watch this guy play that makes me question him because I come away unimpressed everytime I watch him play with his lazy moments, and his sad attempts at drawing fouls by jumping into his man while taking jump shots.

I dont get the hype, good player but not great.

Pierce is a very good player- not great by any means- but very good.

And god-given talent compared to Carter? How so? He's not the most athletic guy or the fastest guy. So, no he never had the athletic god-given talent of Carter.

He came into the league as a skinnier guy. He has a knowledge of his own limits- he knew he wasn't going to blow by defenders (though his first step is deceptively quick). So, he became bulkier, so that he could post up smaller guards, and get by bigger forwards. I think the best thing about Pierce is that he can attack the rim, get to ft line, and that when he does that, his entire outside game opens up.

Basically, Pierce knows how to play to his strengths.

Over the years, his greatest improvement has been passing the ball.

Not sure how you got that every one in the league loves his game or something. And what do people make him out to be? And what people?

He's ranked right where he should be- not as good as the Kobe- Lebron tier, but right in the Carter-Melo-Arenas tier.

[The Notic]

See, you're contradicting yourself when you question his athleticism, and more to the point his blow by ability, and marginalize his ball handling skills. It's impossible for an all-star level 2-guard to lack both.

The thing with Pierce is that he's deceptively quick, ridiculously talented and really excellent at using his body to not only draw contact, but create spacing for himself.

His mid-range and 3-point shot is good enough that opposing teams have to respect it, and he's excellent at using ball fakes, jab steps to create space and to draw contact. He's strong, and although he may not look it, he's an excellent finisher.

Pierce's game is awesome.

[bballcool34]

See, you're contradicting yourself when you question his athleticism, and more to the point his blow by ability, and marginalize his ball handling skills. It's impossible for an all-star level 2-guard to lack both.

The thing with Pierce is that he's deceptively quick, ridiculously talented and really excellent at using his body to not only draw contact, but create spacing for himself.

His mid-range and 3-point shot is good enough that opposing teams have to respect it, and he's excellent at using ball fakes, jab steps to create space and to draw contact. He's strong, and although he may not look it, he's an excellent finisher.

Pierce's game is awesome.

He's been playing the 3 more ever since Walker left. And I'm not questioning any of his athleticism at all. I'm merely saying that he does not have the "god-given athletic ability" that Carter has, which is what the OP implied.

The rest of your post is right on- except that his weakest facet of the game, is his ball handling. Which is why he's far better on the wing, near the post, then he is at isolating from the top of the three point line.

[The Notic]

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He's been playing the 3 more ever since Walker left. And I'm not questioning any of his athleticism at all. I'm merely saying that he does not have the "god-given athletic ability" that Carter has, which is what the OP implied.

The rest of your post is right on- except that his weakest facet of the game, is his ball handling. Which is why he's far better on the wing, near the post, then he is at isolating from the top of the three point line.

My post was a response to the OP, sorry for the confusion.

But Re: Pierce's ball handling, I think I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here. Pierce's ball handling is well above average and he's one of the more creative players with the ball 6'6 and over.

His array of crossovers, step-backs, and behind the back moves easily puts him in the upper echelon of ball handlers for wing players.

[realball]

I hate Pierce, because he's incredibly deceptive. He draws contact on pumps and jab steps and post-ups, and hits shots that you don't think he'll hit, like 15-foot turnaround jumpers and step-back threes. Thing is, he will look somehwat lazy because he doesn't move without the ball very often, and I don't think he's got a very good catch-and-shoot game. And he's very bulky, so he seems slow too, but he's not. He's pretty fast, even if he's not the type to blow by people.

[LiquidFire]

to me he looks slowm out of shape and lazy.. i dunno how it works tho

[bostonfan34]

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My post was a response to the OP, sorry for the confusion.

But Re: Pierce's ball handling, I think I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here. Pierce's ball handling is well above average and he's one of the more creative players with the ball 6'6 and over.

His array of crossovers, step-backs, and behind the back moves easily puts him in the upper echelon of ball handlers for wing players.

Good post.

I think a lot of opposing fans aren't big Pierce fans because he's not flashy at all - you're not going to see him with as many Wade/Carter/Kobe/Bron highlights, but he goes out and gets a very, very efficient 21/6/5. When he has to, he can really turn on the offensive game - in 06, the Celts lacked scoring options...Pierce did what he had to do and put up 27/7/5 on 47% shooting. For his career, he's a 23.5 / 7 / 4 guy.

He's a good defensive player, he's a good leader, he's clutch - I think a lot of people aren't a fan because some see him as having an attitude or cocky swagger.

[bostonfan34]

to me he looks slowm out of shape and lazy.. i dunno how it works tho

He's big, but he's definitely in shape and very strong.

[roseorbust]

Because your short white and unathletic and he's tall black and athletic? Your opposites.

[bballcool34]

-= original quote snipped =-



My post was a response to the OP, sorry for the confusion.

But Re: Pierce's ball handling, I think I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here. Pierce's ball handling is well above average and he's one of the more creative players with the ball 6'6 and over.

His array of crossovers, step-backs, and behind the back moves easily puts him in the upper echelon of ball handlers for wing players.

I agree that Pierce's ball handling is above average- it has to be for him to be able to drive like he does.

But the weakest facet of his game, I'd say is his ball handling- not that it's bad. It's not in the Kobe-McGrady-Lebron tier, but is effective.

However, I maintain that he's far more effective in the post, than dribbling around the perimeter, because that's when he's more prone to making bad turnovers.

[Cevap]

Pierce is a good player but like everything in Boston he tends to get overrated by ESPN. His spitting game is on par with the best cowboys in the west though.

[triplet1984]

to me he looks slowm out of shape and lazy.. i dunno how it works tho

i honestly think that's a big reason... there are a lot of pics where pierce LOOKS out of shape, he has an odd body shape. note i'm not saying he is out of shape, frankly i'm sure its just the opposite watching how he plays, i'm sure he's in fine shape, but h dont look it.

[Ballings7]

I love Paul Pierce, he's such a versatile player

I honestly think that's a big reason... there are a lot of pics where pierce LOOKS out of shape, he has an odd body shape. note i'm not saying he is out of shape, frankly i'm sure its just the opposite watching how he plays, i'm sure he's in fine shape, but h dont look it.

Well, I'd say it's bulk for Pierce, rather than defined mass.

[He Hate Me]

I agree with the OP, and as I began to write why I too "dislike" Pierce I realized that all my precieved negatives are actually positives.

He doesn't play outside his skillset. He has a good range, and from what I've seen is most effective just outside the key. He is bulky enough to box out some bigs. He is not going to rise above/steak past you, but manages to score 20+ inspite of these hinderances.

He reminds me of the guy at the gym who schools everyone but you take comfort in knowing that better and more athletic players would eat him up. PP is cool.

[Raymond Felton]

my guess is that u dislike anything that is boston, just like me. Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox, just to note the top ones.

u may also still associate him with Antoine Walker, and that never does anyone any good.


gotta respect Pierce though. The man was shot/stabbed and has come back like a warrior. He isn't the most athletic guy, but he has gotten the job done for a long time, and has a game that allows him to do all facets if need be

[Harry Heinous]

...is it the hammys?

[djtruebeliever]

I've never been a fan of paul pierce, even before all the boston sports dominance as his particular brand of cockiness just annoys me. I will continue to dislike him until the unforeseeable future, but I have to respect his game. he is easily in the top 5-10 range of 2s-3s playing right now.

[JellosJigglin]

Pierce on the court after a game: "Kobe ain't got NOTHIN' on me!"

a couple weeks later Kobe dropped 81.