Brian Robb: “I don’t think we are truly going to see Jayson Tatum’s talent anytime soon.” Paul Pierce opened up on Tatum’s potential, LeBron to LA, loyalty in today’s NBA, Rondo as a Laker and much more in an exclusive chat with @bostonsportsbsj:
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Paul Pierce
Position: -
Born: 10/13/77
Height: 6-7 / 2.01
Weight:229 lbs. / 104.3 kg.
Born: 10/13/77
Height: 6-7 / 2.01
Weight:229 lbs. / 104.3 kg.
What are your expectations for the Celtics heading into next season, based on how the offseason went? Pierce: Obviously, based on what they’ve been able to do over the last couple of years and being a year smarter, a year older, a year more experienced, I think it’s time for them to take the next step. It’s about being good, but also about being lucky. I think if they stay healthy, I see them being in the Finals, especially with LeBron being in the Western Conference.
After former teammate Paul Pierce hit a game-winning shot against the Knicks, Robinson kept trying to jump on Pierce’s back in celebration. But Pierce was having none of it, upending Robinson. “That was the day I died and came back to life,” Robinson joked. “I literally almost broke my neck. I was trying to get the piggyback ride from Paul, but he kept running. That was a pretty cool picture though.”
B/R: LeBron has three rings. He’s been to more Finals than any player in modern times. But he’s 3-6 after this series. Does that matter to his legacy? Paul Pierce: When you’re talking about being the greatest, yes. You’re already in the top five. But we’re talking about being at the top of the throne, the top of the mountain; yes, that number does matter when you’re talking that.
Later in August, the Celtics traded Brooklyn’s 2018 first-round pick (No. 8 overall), Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a 2020 second-round pick to acquire Irving from the Cavaliers. What goes through the mind of a former Nets decision-maker now watching Irving, Brown and Tatum all on the Celtics? “It doesn’t bother me one bit since the trade happened in 2013 and Brown was picked in 2016 and Tatum in 2017,” ex-Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks told The Athletic. “It is not like the Philly trade with Boston when Tatum was already identified as a top prospect and 76ers gave up a lottery pick in 2019 to pass on him and picked Markelle Fultz. I will say that the role of Brad Stevens has helped magnify this trade even more by the development that him and his staff have done with both players. Remember that Stevens wasn’t even hired when the trade was made in 2013.”
Back on July 12, 2013, King told reporters it was a good day for the organization. Quietly, other Nets management staffers were concerned about the age of Pierce and Garnett, future luxury tax implications, and whether the Nets were truly good enough to compete for a title that season. Ownership was overjoyed. “Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets,” Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement at the time. “With the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, we have achieved a great balance on our roster between veteran stars and young talents. This team will be dazzling to watch, and tough to compete against.”
