Pierce I am the best player in the NBA

Sea Devils

:rolleyes:

Paul Pierce has maintained what he told a Spanish newspaper recently - he believes he is the best player in the NBA today, according to The Providence Journal.

He was asked whether he thought Kobe Bryant was the best player in the league, saying no and giving himself the honor.

Pierce took home the MVP trophy following Boston's triumph over Los Angeles in the NBA Finals this June.

"I am a confident player, and a lot of people might look at it like 'Oh, another cocky attitude,' but I don't look at it that way," said Pierce.

"I have an opinion, I have a right to have one, and that's the way I feel. I felt I've played against the best over the years and felt right now that I'm the best player in the world."

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/53875/20080804/pierce_i_am_the_best_player_in_the_nba/



Forget being the "best player in the NBA," Paul Pierce barely cracks the top 20. He accomplished nothing for a decade until the Big Ticket came to town

Kinetic^

Oh lord, what a crazy statement to make! :rolleyes: If he were on the USA Olympics team, I couldn't see him starting ahead of Melo/Kobe/LeBron at all.

kev_s88

we want "THE TRUTH"

nowhere near the best in the NBA.although it is hard to accomplish anything at a team that has not really been able to challenge much since he started playing. so i think he has finally got what he deserves.his first title and the recognition of being one of the best is something he deserves.i mean he has been carrying the Celtics since the time he has been with them

Mikeyt086

He's not the best on the Celtics. KG .

juvenal

PP is not the best player in the league, but to say that he's not even in the top 20 is ludicrous. He's a fine player, and certainly in the top ten in the NBA. He was outstanding in the Finals, but of course he wouldn't have done it without the support from KG, Allen, Posey, Rondo, Powe et al.

Basketball is a team game, and he's been a shining light with the Celtics over the last decade. You need at least eight quality players, and more, to win a championship. Yes, "the trade" made it possible for them to win the title, but by your reasoning, if a player doesn't single-handedly win a ring while carrying a team then they're no good? KG was in Minnesota for nine years before they won a play-off series, does that mean he's no good? No, it doesn't - he's an 11-time All-Star. Ray Allen was in Milwaukee & Seattle for eleven years and didn't win squat. LeBron and the Cavs got swept in last years finals, does this mean he's no good - clearly, no.

This year was the first time that Pierce, KG or Allen ever played in the NBA Finals. Between them, they've played almost 35 seasons of professional basketball in the NBA, and this is their first title? I would say that this season's championship win for the Celtics was the perfect marriage of top players, and I don't think any of the top three could claim that they would've done it without either of the other two.

Paul Pierce, no, not the #1 player in the NBA, not a chance. But certainly in the top-10 and has a ring and a Finals MVP. Pretty solid IMO.

Sea Devils

juvenal wrote: »

PP is not the best player in the league, but to say that he's not even in the top 20 is ludicrous. He's a fine player, and certainly in the top ten in the NBA. He was outstanding in the Finals, but of course he wouldn't have done it without the support from KG, Allen, Posey, Rondo, Powe et al.

Basketball is a team game, and he's been a shining light with the Celtics over the last decade. You need at least eight quality players, and more, to win a championship. Yes, "the trade" made it possible for them to win the title, but by your reasoning, if a player doesn't single-handedly win a ring while carrying a team then they're no good? KG was in Minnesota for nine years before they won a play-off series, does that mean he's no good? No, it doesn't - he's an 11-time All-Star. Ray Allen was in Milwaukee & Seattle for eleven years and didn't win squat. LeBron and the Cavs got swept in last years finals, does this mean he's no good - clearly, no.

This year was the first time that Pierce, KG or Allen ever played in the NBA Finals. Between them, they've played almost 35 seasons of professional basketball in the NBA, and this is their first title? I would say that this season's championship win for the Celtics was the perfect marriage of top players, and I don't think any of the top three could claim that they would've done it without either of the other two.

Paul Pierce, no, not the #1 player in the NBA, not a chance. But certainly in the top-10 and has a ring and a Finals MVP. Pretty solid IMO.

I don't know where you got the idea that because LeBron was swept in his first finals he wasn't "considered any good". Rather it was the opposite he took a team full of scrubs to their first Finals and lost to the superior team with one of the best man to man Defenders. Right now he's the second best player in the League. Ditto for Garnett who during his 9 years in Minnesota before winning a Playoff series had to deal with Front Office fiascos and a ultra loaded Western Conference. He still put up numbers though.

Yes Pierce took Boston to the Conference Finals but beside Indiana and New Jersey the Eastern Conference was a joke. Paul Pierce and Employee #8 and a bunch of scrubs was enough to get a team to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Pierce was underrated several season ago when he was languishing on a crappy Celtics team and nobody remembered who he was.

Ever since the spotlight has been on the Celtics since the KG trade, Pierce has ceased to be underrated.

I've always considred Pierce in the 15-20 range for the last decade.

juvenal

Sea Devils wrote: »

I don't know where you got the idea that because LeBron was swept in his first finals he wasn't "considered any good". Rather it was the opposite he took a team full of scrubs to their first Finals and lost to the superior team with one of the best man to man Defenders.

I agree with you, I was using LB as an analogy, that just because he didn't win the championship it doesn't mean he's no good. Quite the opposite, read the post.

If KG was still in Minnesota, would he be an NBA champion now? I think we all know the answer to that. Not to take anything from the aforementioned players, I just think PP has raised his game over the past few seasons and can be considered one of the league's top players. Certainly not the best though!

Lafortezza

The thing is if you were to build a team from scratch to win the championship next season who would your first pick be?
LeBron
Kobe
Chris Paul?
KG?
Dwight Howard?

Pierce might just make the top 10.

Sea Devils

1) Kobe Bryant
2) LeBron James
3) Chris Paul
4) Tim Duncan
5) Kevin Garnett
6) Dwight Howard
7) Dwayne Wade (will return to top 3 after next season, trust me).
8) Amare Stoudamire
9) Deron Williams
10) Yao Ming
11) Dirk Nowitzki
12) Steve Nash
13) Gilbert Arenas
14) Chris Bosh
15) Tracy McGrady
16) Paul Pierce
17) Allen Iverson
18) Manu Ginobili
19) Elton Brand
20) Monta Ellis

I'm fairly sure if there was a Fantasy Draft that would be the order of the players taken

Lafortezza

Personally I'd take pierce ahead of McGrady, Bosh, Nash, Ming if I wanted a title next season but he'd still be outside the top 10.

Tim131

He's not the best but he's DAMN good, when I was in the states I saw him play, and it was 3 pointer after 3 pointer after 3 pointer...amazing athelete. My favorite player, but in my opinon the likes of LeBron James and Chris Bosh are better. In my opinion he's the Celtics biggest asset since Larry Bird.

eagle eye

lafortezza wrote: »

The thing is if you were to build a team from scratch to win the championship next season who would your first pick be?
LeBron
Kobe
Chris Paul?
KG?
Dwight Howard?

Pierce might just make the top 10.

Pierce would be my first pick, he might not be individually the best in the league but he is a way better team player than Kobe and he has bottle unlike Kobe.