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Steve Bulpett: Pierce Best Player On Celtics - At Least That's What A Prominent Scout Says
The "prominent NBA scout" that Bulpett's quoting reflects my belief right
along. Pierce will be the best player on the C's and in the NBA, and his
addition lessens the loss of Antoine via whatever deal they do, although
it would be nice if they could get someone more proven than Brian Grant.
However, when Grant has been healthy, such as his rookie season with
Sacramento, he was one of the best young power forwards in the game.
Ray
Boston Herald
Scout: C's got
real steal in
Pierce
NBA Notes/by
Steve Bulpett
10/11/98
As a service to
those who may
lose their
Sunday brunch if
they read any
more about the
inability of the
NBA and its
players to
happily divide a
pie of more than
$1 billion, we
offer a column
devoid of
lockout
discussion.
You want some
real hoop talk?
Well, would you
believe there is
at least one
prominent NBA
scout who
insists the best
player on the
Celtics is Paul
Pierce -- even
if Antoine
Walker stays.
"If I was
running my team
and we had the
No. 1 pick in
this draft, I
would have taken
Pierce, hands
down," he said.
"No question in
my mind.
"I have no idea
why people fell
in love with
(Michael)
Olowokandi and
(Mike) Bibby
like they did. I
think Bibby can
be a really good
player in this
league in time,
but Pierce has
it right now."
The scout
believes that at
least two
general managers
picking above
the Celtics will
wind up on thin
ice for passing
up Pierce.
"If (Rick)
Pitino lets the
kid go and gives
him the time
he's going to
deserve, he'll
be an impact
player," said
the scout.
"He's got a more
complete
offensive
package than
anyone who's
come into this
league in a long
time. And it's
more than just
his talent. This
kid understands
how to play the
game."
So what about
the fact that
Kansas developed
a pattern of
underachievement
during Pierce's
time?
"You can't blame
that on Pierce,"
said the scout.
"He was stuck in
that damn Roy
Williams system.
Control this,
control that.
People always
say that (North
Carolina coach)
Dean Smith was
the only one who
ever kept
Michael Jordan's
scoring down,
and where do you
think Roy
Williams (a
former Carolina
assistant)
learned how to
coach?
"I'm telling
you, if they let
Pierce play, the
Celtics are
going to be a
lot better than
people expect
this year. You
add a guy who
can run like
Pierce to what
they already
have with (Ron)
Mercer and
Walker and
(Kenny)
Anderson, and
they're going to
be able to put
some points on
the board.
Pitino will
really get a
chance to play
his style."
Legendary
beginning
You can never
get enough Larry
Bird, right?
Here's the big
lug talking
about his
childhood days:
"All I was
concerned about
when I was young
was just going
out and playing
and being
involved in
sports," he
said. "I can
remember very
vividly when I
was in about
fifth or sixth
grade, I used to
sit there every
day and when it
got to be about
2:30 or 3
o'clock, all I
would do is
focus on that
basketball court
because I
couldn't wait to
get out there."
Out there was
French Lick and
West Baden in
Indiana.
"I come from a
small town,"
Bird said. "I
come from a
relatively poor
family. We
didn't have a
lot. But all my
friends and my
neighbors didn't
have a lot
either, so we
didn't know. One
thing we did
have was sports
-- baseball,
basketball,
football. I can
remember my mom
just like it was
yesterday
saying, 'You
kids go out and
play ball.' I
heard that over
and over and
over and over.
Then I heard her
tell my older
brother one
time, 'If you
kids don't get
home a little
bit earlier,
you're going to
get what you
deserve.' "
The humble
beginnings
didn't bother
Bird, mainly
because he had
nothing to
compare them to
until he went to
college and to
the Celtics.
"Growing up in a
small town . . .
that's all I
knew," he said.
"I never knew
any more. We
never had a
family car where
we could drive
around to see
other towns or
other states. So
that's what I
had, and I
enjoyed it
immensely
because you knew
everybody in the
school, you knew
everybody in the
town.
"How I ever came
out of a small
town like that
and accomplished
some of the
things that I
did is beyond
me. Growing up
in a small town
like that was
obviously a
benefit for me.
Yes, I would
have liked to
have had more
competition in
the summer to
better my game,
but, hey, you
live with what
you have." . . .
Nobody wins
unless everybody
wins.