Paul Pierce: "I'm the BEST player in the WORLD"

Texas Longhorns · Post #41 » by **Texas Longhorns** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:35 am

I can't believe people are actually backing up Paul Pierce. When has he had the skill level of a Kobe Bryant? I've never seen it match up to points where Kobe has done it. I've never heard anywhere of Paul Pierce being in the discussion of a Michael Jordan. Sure, Pierce has all-stars, now a Finals MVP, but the stuff Kobe as, Paul Pierce does not. Where's the defense? 1st or 2nd All-Defensive Team? Where is the All-NBA 1st or 2nd team? He's only made the third-team 3 times. IMO Skill/Achievements (together as a combination) ranks you in the NBA, Paul Pierce doesn't have either at a better scale than Kobe Bryant. Kobe has been the LEADER of his team, I think the leader of the Celtics would be Kevin Garnett. I am not trying to take anything away from Pierce, but to declare yourself the best player in the world because you won a Finals MVP of one championship? That means that after Michael Jordan retired, he was officially gone from being the greatest of all time, and someone from the Rockets in the 94 or 95 championship, like Hakeem Olajuwon, could have called himself the greatest of all time or the greatest basketball player in the world. That's not how it works, at least IMO. Everyone has their opinions, but from the facts and stats, it all points to Kobe being the best player in the world, Media agrees with that too. The Media hypes it up, and if the Media doesn't agree with Paul Pierce, what difference does it make what he says? It can just go up in ashes and be forgotten about in weeks.

Kobay · Post #42 » by **Kobay** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:52 am

Finals MVP should have been Posey. I find it rather pathetic how soft laker big 3 outplayed the Boston big 3 but got killed by raining threes from posey while Vujacic getting payed to hit open three shows up for only a game.

BruceO · Post #43 » by **BruceO** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:09 am

here's their head to head matchups. Their separation isn't as much as you guys think.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/fc/ ... =piercpa01

here's piece perfomance in the finals where they both have excellent teams

NBA finals

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/paul_pier ... stats.html
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/paul_pierce/index.html

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/kobe_brya ... stats.html
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/kobe_bryant/index.html

I personally prefer kobe because of the separation between himself and other shooting guards. Pierce on the other hand is facing a strong crop of small forwards with Lebron, carmelo, Caron to name a few. These guys can compete if not beat him. Caron competed with pierce in order for us to beat boston 3 of 4 intense regular season games.
The idea that kobe is miles ahead of pierce though to a point of being a no contest and pierce being out his mind should be put to rest though. Head to head they've competed. They've probably competed in summer pick up games with each other. His output or anyones output in basketball is very dependant on whether you think you can compete. If you ever played a game thinking you're going to lose anyway you'll let lesser oponnents win. Tenacity is important. Again I think kobe is better but not by enough to cause the difference in a games result. I'd think pierce who in his career has competed well against Kobe and just come off a victory in the finals have a reporter say kobe is the best player in the NBA as though its a priori can be justified for saying hes a best player.
In general I don't think any has shown enough separation from the other. Kobe has shown sometimes but i'd be careful to make sure its a reality and not perception. Sometimes perception becomes reality

shaqfan1 · Post #44 » by **shaqfan1** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:27 am

Oh boy, I can already see it now. The Celtics lost Posey, and now they're getting overly cocky. It's gonna be a very humbling second season for the Big 3.

CB4MiamiHeat · Post #45 » by **CB4MiamiHeat** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:36 am

Tesla wrote:Pierce didn't handily outplay Kobe in the finals, thats simply a bunch of crap. The the Celtics outplayed the Lakers, and were clearly the better team and won 4-2, even though it was closer then people are making it seem (game 6 being the only game where the Celtics really dominated). Paul Pierce was good in the finals no doubt, and Kobe had a subpar finals, but having said that....

Kobe: 26ppg, 5rpg, 5apg, 3spg - 40/32/80 % with 3.8TO
Pierce: 22ppg, 4rpg, 6apg, 1spg - 43/39/83'% with 3.6TO

Those numbers don't look like anyone handily outplayed anyone there. To say so is just plain wrong. The reasons it may seem so is:
1. Kobe looked more than human compared to his previous three series, where he was clearly the best player on the planet, no questions asked. In the finals the Celtics collapsed on him, and their defense kept him in check.
2. Pierce's team won, because they were the better team.
3. the Laker defense was geared towards Garnett, and the Celtic defense was geared towards Kobe.

I mean, Pierce had like what 5points in game 3? He played clutch, and was a great leader, had a good series, but people are overblowing just how good of a series he actually had, and the match-up circumstances in the series.

Ray Allen honestly had just as impressive as a series IMO, and if Paul Pierce can say he's better than Kobe, or the best player in the league, and you agree that he has the right to say it, then so does Ray Allen.

The fact is, Kevin Garnett is clearly the Celtics best player, and for someone to say they are the best player in the world, when they are not even the best player on their team is dellusional.

I never said Pierce handily outplayed Kobe, or that it wasnt close..Pierce had a horrible game 4, and two very average games..

Tirion · Post #46 » by **Tirion** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:40 am

Texas Longhorns wrote:I can't believe people are actually backing up Paul Pierce. When has he had the skill level of a Kobe Bryant? I've never heard anywhere of Paul Pierce being in the discussion of a Michael Jordan.

Well Kobe shouldn't be in that discussion either.

Texas Longhorns · Post #47 » by **Texas Longhorns** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:44 am

There have been closer moments that Kobe Bryant has to Jordan than Paul Pierce has had. I understand Kobe may not be as good as MJ and of course I don't think he is, but I'm saying this in relation to Paul Pierce. If I could pick 3 players close to Michael Jordan, it would be LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade... and that's in no particular order.

BruceO · Post #48 » by **BruceO** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:11 am

Texas Longhorns wrote:There have been closer moments that Kobe Bryant has to Jordan than Paul Pierce has had. I understand Kobe may not be as good as MJ and of course I don't think he is, but I'm saying this in relation to Paul Pierce. If I could pick 3 players close to Michael Jordan, it would be LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade... and that's in no particular order.

why does the best player have to be as close to michael jordan as possible? You can't look at one player stylistically and say the closest to him is best. Lebron is a different small forward from the type of small forward Jordan was so I don't think you can even compare them stylistically. I also wouldnt think any player regardless of whether he's a wing, center or gaurd is a bad player just because he doesnt remind me of jordan

Texas Longhorns · Post #49 » by **Texas Longhorns** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:22 am

I'm just saying, I haven't seen the greatness from Pierce...as I've seen from Kobe and it's still going. How does that make Pierce better than him? Nobody can prove it with their opinions, but with the stats and facts, Kobe is better than him.

Kefa461 · Post #50 » by **Kefa461** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:03 am

Not in the Last FInals he wasn't..... :lol:

.......

Pierce Finals MVP .....

.....

Post #51 » by **canman1971** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:33 am

People are not very smart. And I am not talking about Pierce. Pierce like to have fun. Does he think he is the best. Sure why not. He has, like many NBA superstars, a certain mentality that got him to where he was and it wasn't thinking he was second best anytime. The problem is too many people can't form their own thought and just take things for face value. Think a little people. Why does anyone care what Pierce thinks? "Oh know, people don't think Kobe is the best player." "Oh know, people don't think LeBron is the best." Does it affect your life that much? Who cares?

Inc · Post #52 » by **Inc** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:47 am

PP34RA10 wrote:kobe bryant would chop his own head off if he had to play with Walker, ricky davis, vin baker, raef lafrentz And coached by doc rivers

If Kobe played with Walker, we would see 10x the shimmy.

The MVPlaya · Post #53 » by **The MVPlaya** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:19 am

LOL @ some people actually trying to make an argument for Pierce being better than Kobe. Um, wow.

Pierce gets too much credit for playing well against a team that just happened to be Kobe's team. What Pierce's TEAM did to Kobe, was 10x more of a reason for Kobe struggling, rather than what Pierce did himself.

Want proof? Look at the type of level Kobe played at against his 1st 3 playoff opponents, or just take a look at his overall numbers for the whole playoffs, despite a sub par finals. Pierce has never even played at that type of level in just 1 series, let alone an entire playoffs.

So I ask, why are we comparing them on what they did individually against each others respective TEAMS? Is that really the SOLE reason why some of you think Pierce is equal to or better than Kobe. Poor argument.

DaDragicShow · Post #54 » by **DaDragicShow** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:24 am

He obviously was the best player considering he won the champioship this year, therefore he has all the braggingright as of now. If Kobe won the ring this year, he would of done the same thing and said he was the best player in the world. Same with Tim Duncan when he won in 03,05,07, Chaunsey Billips in 2004 and Dwayne Wade in 06. When you WIN a championship regardless if you arent th best player in the regular season since you didnt win the MVP the playoffs are a whole different story, when you win the ring you deserve to say watever you feel like it until someone knocks you off next year.

JordansBulls · Post #55 » by **JordansBulls** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:18 pm

knicksNOTslick wrote:Switch Kobe and Pierce. Pierce on the Lakers would barely be a playoff team. Kobe on the Celtics means Quadruplepeat. It's not even close.

Couldn't you say the same thing about Iverson in 2001 or Kidd in 2002 or even Reggie Miller in 2000? If you are going to say switch Kobe and Pierce than why not switch those guys to play with a prime Shaq.

PP34RA10 · Post #56 » by **PP34RA10** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:32 pm

The MVPlaya wrote:LOL @ some people actually trying to make an argument for Pierce being better than Kobe. Um, wow.

Pierce gets too much credit for playing well against a team that just happened to be Kobe's team. What Pierce's TEAM did to Kobe, was 10x more of a reason for Kobe struggling, rather than what Pierce did himself.

Want proof? Look at the type of level Kobe played at against his 1st 3 playoff opponents, or just take a look at his overall numbers for the whole playoffs, despite a sub par finals. Pierce has never even played at that type of level in just 1 series, let alone an entire playoffs.

So I ask, why are we comparing them on what they did individually against each others respective TEAMS? Is that really the SOLE reason why some of you think Pierce is equal to or better than Kobe. Poor argument.

Bryant

1st round, arguablythe worst defensive team in the history of the NBA, Luke walton averaged 20 ppg in round 1.

2nd round, very bad defensive team with garbage SG''S , Korver played kobe alot wow.

3rd, old spurs team with an injured manu .

kobe bryant is fake, the western confrence SG'S Suck big time.

Rasheeed!!! · Post #57 » by **Rasheeed!!!** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:32 pm

how quickly people forget that Kobe carried the Lakers on numerous occassions during the title runs....it wasn't just Shaq.

Straightwitdaroc · Post #58 » by **Straightwitdaroc** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:54 pm

Give me a break. Bragging rights? LMAO

Kobe is league MVP. He outplayed Pierce over the course of an 82 game season and outplayed Pierce in the playoffs.

Kobe was on both the All NBA 1st team and All NBA defensive 1st team - Pierce was on neither.

Hell, PP is not even the best player on his own team. He merely was the best player 3 out of the 4 games the Celtics won against the Lakers in the finals.

Hell, Tony Parker was never the best player in the league and neither was Billups.

Tricky Ricky · Post #59 » by **Tricky Ricky** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:27 pm

Kefa461 wrote:Not in the Last FInals he wasn't..... ....... Pierce Finals MVP ..... .....

Stop living in the past Kobe/Laker fans, Boston Celtics 17 championships greatest team everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

the sea duck · Post #60 » by **the sea duck** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:32 pm

i remember when everyone considered mcgrady and vince carter as clearly better than paul pierce.

i remember when people said shawn marion was a better player than paul pierce.

perceptions change, some are just slow to recognize.

also, why does kobe winning three championships 6+ years ago (while not being the best on his team) enter the discussion for the best player TODAY?

also, if you ask pierce who's the best looking dude in the world, he's gonna say "i am"... he's a joker. maybe not the most clever one, but a joker nonetheless. no need for the panties to be bunching up.