Article: Pierce feels no arrows

[Kevin <kevin.lok@lycosmail.com>]

http://www.telegram.com/sports/celts2.html
Pierce feels no arrows C's hold off Magic
Monday, March 6, 2000
By Bill Doyle
Telegram & Gazette Staff
Celtics 97 Magic 91
AP Photo
BOSTON -- When co-captain Antoine Walker takes an
ill-advised shot or turns over the ball on a
drive, Celtics fans boo.
         When teammate Paul Pierce does the same
thing, they keep quiet.
         Yesterday, Pierce made only 7 of 22
shots, but scored a team-high 19 points as the
Celtics snapped their four-game losing streak with
a 97-91 victory over the Orlando Magic at a
sold-out FleetCenter.
         Pierce also had team-highs of 7 assists
and 5 steals before fouling out with 1:12 left.
         After the game, he signed autographs for
a few appreciative young fans at courtside.
         “He's in a different position than I am,”
Pierce said of Walker. “They put so much
(pressure) on him as far as being team captain and
he's the guy with the big contract, so fans expect
certain things from him. There's a lot of pressure
on him being in that position.”
         Walker began a six-year, $71-million
contract this season. Pierce will make $1.6
million this year.
         Do fans simply like Pierce better?
         “Could be,” Pierce said, “but if we were
to switch roles where I was the team captain and I
had the bigger contract and things weren't really
going well for us as a team, who knows what would
happen? A lot of pressure is on and he's asked to
come out and perform every night.”
         How will Pierce perform once he signs a
lucrative contract?
         “That's something I don't think about,”
he said. “All I can do is go out and play hard and
give 100 percent. I can't make anybody just cheer
me on. Whatever people feel about me is what they
feel.”
         Celtics coach Rick Pitino refused to say
how he felt about Pierce's play this season.
         “No, I won't,” he said before yesterday's
game. “At this point in time, I don't think it
serves any purpose. We have 25 games left. I think
you already have a preconceived notion of what
you're looking for, so write it.”
         Pierce was honored as the first NBA
Rookie of the Month last year, but Vince Carter
beat him out for Rookie of the Year and he has
left Pierce in his dust this season.
         Pitino's refusal to speak about Pierce
leaves the impression that he isn't satisfied with
his progress. Pierce was coming off a 3-of-13,
11-point game in Toronto in which Carter badly
outplayed him, after which Pitino refused to
comment. Including yesterday, Pierce has shot only
39 percent (57 of 146) over his last nine games.
         Pitino said Carter's jump shot was a
question mark until this season.
         “Not only has he become a great shooter,”
Pitino said, “but his technique for shooting is
almost like a perfect swing in golf.”
         Pitino said Bob Zuffelato, Toronto's
director of basketball operations, told him Friday
in Toronto that Carter took 700 shots a day last
summer under the guidance of a coach.
         “Some guys waste their time repeating bad
technique,” Pitino said. “He went out and worked
on his technique.”
         Pitino would like to see Pierce -- and
every Celtic -- work as hard to improve this
summer.
         “I've had my ups and downs,” Pierce said.
“I know there's times when I can do more, but I'm
not put in situations where I can. Right now, I'm
just doing what Paul Pierce is asked to do. Can I
score more points? Yeah. Can I get more rebounds?
When you've got guys like Vitaly Potapenko and
Antoine and Danny Fortson, it's hard. I might play
the two-guard position and have to get back on
defense, I might not be in rebounding position a
lot of times.
         “Maybe I can shoot the ball a lot better
than I have been. But it's going to come in time.
I look at it that I'm only in my second year and
all I can do is get better.”
         Pierce ranks second to Walker on the team
in scoring at 19.6 points a game, 3.1 more than
his rookie season.
         “I'm smarter,” Pierce said. “I can adjust
to defenses a lot better than I did a year ago.
I've matured a lot. I don't get frustrated as
much. I don't hang my head as much as I did last
year. When things don't go well, I just keep
playing regardless of the outcome.”
         Although the Celtics won for only the
fourth time in their last 16 games, they're still
only four games out of the final playoff spot with
23 to play.
         “Right now, I'm not even thinking the
playoffs,” Pierce said. “Every time we win and
talk about the playoffs, something bad always
happens.”
         Walker scored 11 points in the second
quarter to lead the Green to a 45-40 halftime
advantage.
         Adrian Griffin had his best game since
returning from the injured list on Jan. 26,
scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
Griffin had 8 points in the third quarter as
Boston expanded its lead to 72-59. The Magic never
got any closer than 5 in the final quarter.
         Walker had 18 points and 10 rebounds.
         Darrell Armstrong had 19 points and
Chucky Atkins 17 as Orlando dropped its fifth
straight road game.
© 2000 Worcester Telegram & Gazette