Full Court Press: 4/4/05

by Tom

“This is why people hate the NBA”

This statement was made by me to my friend during the 2nd quarter of yesterday’s Celtics-Sixers game. I was sitting up in balcony across from the Celtics bench. I had a birds eye view of Paul Pierce sitting on the bench, arms and legs folded, while his team huddled 5 feet away from him. He reminded me of a little kid who didn’t get ice cream after his steak dinner. This is the captain of the Boston Celtics, pouting during a key April contest against a division opponent that is nipping on their heals.

Here is a quote Pierce made in the Boston Herald after the game:

“It ain’t like we don’t have something to fight for. We’re acting like we don’t have anything to fight for, because we think we’re already in the playoffs. These games are important, and we need to understand how important they are.”

Rumor has it that Alanis Morrissette was baking brownies right outside Pierce’s locker when these quotes were made…

Pierce had a good game, statistically. He ended with 26 points and 13 rebounds. These are hollow statistics when you consider his antics in the first half. It’s just amazing how someone can make the quotes above without looking in the mirror. Did someone else lead the team with 5 turnovers? Was someone else on the court in the first quarter when an offensively challenged Philadelphia team raced out to a 38-13 lead? Was it someone else who allowed rookie Andre Iguodala and Josh Davis (who?) out hustle and outplay him?

Someone call Kevin Paul Dupont. A captain needs to be relieved of his duties.

I’ve defended Pierce before in the past. He has at times taken some unfair criticism for the teams poor play. However, this is a time where it falls squarely on him. You can’t have 5 guys on your team (with less than 2 years experience) looking up to a guy that acts like this. There is more than one way to lead a team as a captain. Jason Varitek has proved that you don’t have to be a rah rah guy or a grab by-the-shirt guy to be a leader. At this point, it appears that Paul Pierce just wants the ball and nothing else. If this is the case then the Celtics should oblige for this year and ask themselves some tough questions in the off-season. Because it’s clear that Pierce does not want to be captain. There is a direct correlation between his captaincy and his happiness in Boston. It’s clear that like a new tenant inheriting a rattling radiator, Pierce begrudgingly took the captaincy when Antoine left. If you read 50 articles about the young players on Celtics, 49 will probably not mention the words Paul Pierce and “influence” or “mentor”.

What’s the future for Paul Pierce? Does he want to play here? Do the Celtics still want him to play here? This next month will help answer a lot of these questions. If he does return next year, it should not be in a leadership role. The Celtics would be better off without a captain then with Paul Pierce as their captain. Paul Pierce would be better off as well.