Tag: Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce says Kyrie Irving should play off the ball when he returns

The Nets would be best suited continuing to use Spencer Dinwiddie at point guard and running Kyrie Irving as the off guard when Irving returns.

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving is one of the best scorers in the NBA, and Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce thinks his skills should be taken advantage of when he returns to the floor.

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, Pierce said on ESPN’s “The Jump” on Wednesday that the Nets should run Irving off the ball and have Spencer Dinwiddie continue to run point.

Irving has missed the past 16 games because of a right shoulder impingement. On Dec. 13, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said Irving did on-court work at practice that day, but he hasn’t been cleared for contact.

“I think you got to play them both. And I really think Kyrie is a better player off the ball because Dinwiddie has been in the system for a year, they really had fun last year, they went to the playoffs, so they’re really used to him playing with that core group,” Pierce said. “Now Kyrie played his best basketball with Cleveland, with LeBron being the primary ballhander.”

Irving is one of the best guards in the league, but throughout his career he’s been a scorer. While he’s a solid passer, Irving is a natural bucket getter. In 11 games this season, Irving has averaged a career-high 28.5 points per game. Irving has a career average of 22.4 points a game.

Dinwiddie is a good player as well, but he has a skill set that’s more conducive to producing an offense that flows. He’s averaged 6.3 assists per game this season. In the 16 games Irving has missed, Dinwiddie has averaged 7.4 assists.

This season has been arguably Dinwiddie’s best to date, and he will likely earn All-Star consideration. He’s averaging a career-high 21.4 points per game and shooting 43.0% from the field.

Irving playing off the ball more could work, but only if he is willing to give up some ball handling duties. Irving thrives with the ball in his hands and making plays in isolation. This season, Irving is averaging 3.5 points on isolations, according to NBA.com. And as a guard on the rise, Dinwiddie is averaging 3.3 points on isolations.

When Irving comes back, the Nets shouldn’t take Dinwiddie out of the starting lineup — it would probably mess with his groove. But starting Irving and Dinwiddie together could help the Nets maximize both guards’ talents.

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Celtics off to their best home start since winning championship in 2008

There are plenty of parallels between the Boston Celtics championship team in 2008 and this iteration of the C’s.

With an 8-0 record at home to start the 2019-20 season, including wins over the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics now have their best record at home since 2007-08. A season notable because it ended in Boston hoisting up the Larry O’Brien trophy that summer after defeating Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.

In 2007-08, however, the Celtics managed to start the season 12-0 at home. This season, Boston has just two-thirds of the wins that that team had, although the similarities extend far beyond the team records.

Like the 2008 champions, this season’s roster features a star player that was acquired over the summer and follows a theme of camaraderie that’s reminiscent of the Celtics’ championship team practicing the African philosophy of “Ubuntu.”

In the summer of 2007, Celtics president and general manager Danny Ainge had managed to acquire two stars, to be specific: Seattle SuperSonics sharpshooter Ray Allen and Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Kevin Garnett.

The trades allowed Boston to form the first modern-day Big Three, with Allen and Garnett flanking team captain Paul Pierce. As a result, the Celtics has a myriad of takeover scorers who were complemented by defensive-minded role players like Tony Allen, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe and Rajon Rondo (not that the Big Three couldn’t hold their own defensively).

But the secret to the team’s success was their chemistry; they were genuinely happy for one another’s success and played for each other on the court, akin to how soldiers will tell you they’re a band of brothers.

This summer, the Celtics only had to make one blockbuster trade, which netted them former Charlotte Hornets point guard Kemba Walker.

However, they have flanked the quartet of Walker, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown with defensive-minded role players like they did in 2007. This time, with players like Grant Williams, Daniel Theis, Robert Williams III, Semi Ojeleye and Marcus Smart.

Further, like Boston’s last championship team, this iteration of the Celtics practice an altruism and have formed a camaraderie that fits well with the “Ubuntu” philosophy of interdependence. The team realizes that it’s only as strong as the sum of its part and recognizes the importance of every player, which can’t be said of Boston’s mindset last season.

That said, a strong start at home (or altogether) and improved chemistry won’t be why Boston wins a championship. Certainly, they’ll likely benefit from homecourt advantage in the playoffs and teams who make deep runs in the postseason are indeed those with the best chemistry but constant improvement will be the key to their ultimate success. Both as a team and individuals.

Tatum is arguably the most talented player on the team but has to overcome his slow starts. The Celtics need more from their bench and to shake up their defense. Everyone hopes that Brown and Hayward can keep up the it strong play.

But those concerns are far less of a hindrance to their potential than the issues they faced last season. From a fractured locker room to Hayward and Brown’s struggles to start the season to their inability to play well consistently enough.

That said, their 8-0 start at TD Garden is symbolic even if it’s not predictive. This isn’t only what’s arguably the most talented team Boston has had since 2007-08 but arguably their most unified group since then as well (the Celtics under Isaiah Thomas were pretty close-knit).

What it all means at the end of the season anybody’s guess but at this point, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Boston emerge from the East as NBA Finals contenders.

Steph Curry, Klay Thompson selected to The Athletic’s All-Decade team

Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are three of the best Warriors ever.

As arguably the best backcourt ever, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson will go down as two of the best guards in NBA history.

Curry’s and Thompson’s greatness was recognized Monday by Zach Harper of The Athletic. Harper placed Curry and Thompson on The Athletic’s All-Decade team for the 2010s. Curry was picked as the lead guard for the first team, and Thompson was selected as a wing on the second team. Along with Curry and Thompson, Draymond Green earned honorable mention.

As three-time champions, Curry, Thompson and Green are arguably one of the best trios of all-time.

They’re up there with the 1980s Boston Celtics frontcourt of Kevin McHale, Larry Bird and Robert Parish; the Heatles that consisted of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh; the Celtics Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen; the regularly competitive group of San Antonio Spurs legends Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

Curry and Thompson are two of the best shooters ever, and both are ranked in the top five among active players for 3-point field goal percentage. Curry has shot 43.5% from the 3-point line for his career, and Thompson has shot 41.9%.

Green is one of the best defenders of this era, and he’s arguably the most valuable role player of this generation as well. It’s hard to say the Warriors would have been as feared had Green not been on the team.

With his facilitating and hustle, Green was one of the Warriors’ most important players during their run from 2014-2019.

As the decade comes to a close, the Warriors are no longer one of the league’s best teams. Next season, though, with Curry and Thompson presumably healthy, the Warriors should be competitive again.

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