Kenny Anderson Says Pierce Will Be A Great Player

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

Kenny thinks so highly of Pierce, he's willing to give him a
good deal on a couple of used cars...

 Pierce eager to start NBA    
career with Celtics
                               
SportsLine wire reports         
Jan. 13, 1999             
                            
WALTHAM, Mass. -- Paul      
Pierce's NBA life has been 
one frustrating wait after
another.  He dropped all
the way to the tenth pick 
in last year's draft.
His first pro season was 
delayed more than three 
months by the lockout.

And he apparently will be    
waiting forever to fulfill   
his wish of playing against
Michael Jordan.               

The Boston Celtics, though, 
might not have to wait very 
long before Pierce, a small  
forward from Kansas, fits
into their uptempo offense    
and pressing defense.
                              
"I played with him during
the summer when I went out
to California and I saw what
potential he has," said Ron  
Mercer, one of Boston's      
first-round picks in 1997.
"This system is definitely   
made for Paul."             

Pierce is eager to learn it. 
He showed up last Monday for
workouts, the first day
players could use team
facilities after the
lockout. And next Monday,
he's scheduled to
participate in his first
practice run by Boston's
demanding coach, Rick
Pitino.

"It's a little frustrating,"
Pierce said. ``You wonder if
there's going to be a
season, but I'm happy it's
here and I'm ready to
start."

PIERCE COULD JOIN THE
STARTING lineup with
previous first-rounders,
Antoine Walker and Mercer.
With experienced point guard
Kenny Anderson directing the
offense, an abbreviated
50-game season and Jordan
having retired, the Celtics
have an improved chance of
making the playoffs for the
first time in four years.

"In the near future, we're
going to be a team to be
reckoned with in the East,"
Pierce said. But he won't
get a chance to test himself
against Jordan, who
announced his retirement
Wednesday.

"I always watched this guy
growing up and always wanted
to play against him," Pierce
said.

If he's upset about being
drafted 10th, he need only
check the 1984 draft when
Jordan wasn't taken until
the No. 3 spot behind Hakeem
Olajuwon, who went to
Houston, and Sam Bowie,
taken by Portland.

"I just look at it as a
blessing in disguise,"
Pierce said. ``This is
probably the best place for
me."

He would have liked to have
arrived sooner, but the
lockout prevented that. He
wondered if he made the
right decision in leaving
Kansas after his junior
season. He even considered
playing in Europe.

"It was very frustrating,"
Pierce said. ``At times I
felt like I wasn't even in
the NBA."

HE DID PLAY DURING THE
LOCKOUT in California with
several pros, including
Anderson.

"We've been hanging out,
getting a feel for each
other," Pierce said. "He's
our starting guard so I have
to spend as much time with
him as I possibly can so he
can pass me the ball."

Pierce is a well-rounded
player who can shoot, run
and rebound. He worked on
his ballhandling during the
lockout.

"He's got a lot of
confidence. He's not
afraid," Anderson said.
``He's going to be a great
player. He's very explosive.
He can rebound. He can do it
all. Hopefully, once he gets
into the flow of the system,
he'll be fine."

"He's very athletic. He can
shoot the ball," Celtics
guard Dana Barros said, but
"it all depends on how fast
he adjusts to the things
that we're doing and try to
find his role on the team.
He has all the tools. It's
just a matter of fitting
in."

After his long waits to be
drafted and for the lockout
to end, he'd prefer to do
that quickly.

"I've never seen anything
like this," Pierce said. ``I
never thought the NBA would
lose this many games or even
have something like this
ever happen, and it has to
happen the year I come out.

"So I'm a little frustrated
at that but I'm happy it's
starting. Now I can go on
and fulfill my dream."



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