Paul Pierce: Where the All-Star Ranks Among the Greatest Boston Celtics Ever

 Boston  No Responses »
Jul 312012
 

We already know Paul Pierce is a Hall of Famer. We also know that someday his No. 34 jersey will hang in the rafters of the TD Garden along with the likes of Bill Russell’s No. 6 and Larry Bird’s No. 33. 

In other words, his legacy will be one of the greatest Celtics of all time, but where exactly does he fit on that prestigious list?

There are several things a great Celtic needs to do to cement their legacy. First and foremost, he has to beat the Lakers.

Paul Pierce did just that. While Kevin Garnett is credited with changing the culture of the team that led to the title, it was Pierce whose playoff heroics brought them home.

He was terrific in the opening rounds of the playoffs, specifically in his now legendary Game 7 duel with LeBron James. Pierce scored 41 points in that game to send King James home in 2008.

He was even better in the NBA Finals, outplaying Kobe Bryant en route to a six-game series win and championship.

The downside here is that Pierce only has one ring. Injuries to Kevin Garnett (2009) and Kendrick Perkins (2010) may have cost him a chance at forming a new Celtic dynasty. 

Statistically, Pierce has been stellar as well. He is Boston’s second all time leading scorer (behind John Havlicek) and may eventually take that distinction. He is a 10-time All-Star, four time All-NBA player and even has a three-point championship to his name.

So now that we’ve broken down what Pierce has done to get his name on the list, we have to decide where exactly he falls on it.

The top four spots (Russell, Bird, Havlicek and Bob Cousy) are securely taken. Nothing Pierce does at this point short of winning several MVP awards and titles can change that.

Pierce is fighting with the next tier of guys: Kevin McHale, Dave Cowens, Sam Jones, Robert Parish and Tommy Heinsohn.

I’m immediately putting Pierce ahead of Heinsohn because of the era he played in, and ahead of the McHale/Parish combo because they were always second to Larry Bird. In other words, they were more amazing supporting pieces, but probably wouldn’t have won any championships without Bird.

That leaves Pierce in a three-way race with Cowens and Jones. So how does he stack up against those two?

I’d give Pierce a slight edge over Jones. Jones’ 10 championships definitely mean a lot, and while I think he was better than McHale and Parish, it does have to be noted that he was a supporting piece to Russell, Cousy and Red Auerbach.

I can’t put Pierce ahead of Cowens yet though. Cowens has two rings to Pierce’s one, has an MVP award in 1973 and was once named by Kareem Abdul-Jabar as the toughest person to ever defend him.

That resumé outweighs what Pierce has done. However, another championship might change things, especially if he beats LeBron James along the way.

So that’s where Pierce stands at the moment. He’ll end his career as either the fifth or sixth best Celtic of all time. Not too shabby for the No. 10 pick in the ’98 draft. 

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Golden State Warriors: Breaking Down How Andrew Bogut Will Help the Warriors

 Rumors  No Responses »
May 242012
 

If there is one member of the Golden State Warriors who has something to prove, it’s Andrew Bogut. After all, the team gave up a star and fan-favorite in Monta Ellis to get the seven-foot center. One might even think that the Warriors’ “tanking” job in the latter half of the season was because of the acquisition of Bogut. Because he was injured and never suited up for a game, the Warriors had absolutely no size on the court, and without Ellis’ scoring, had little to slim chance of winning.

But, if Bogut can stay healthy and do what was advertised of him, all of this will be forgotten. Some fans may not realize this, but for the first time since Robert Parish in the 1970s, the Warriors have a legitimate threat at the center position. (By the way, the Warriors traded Parish and their No. 3 pick in the 1980 NBA draft to the Celtics for the No. 1 and No. 13 picks, which turned into Joe Barry Carroll and Rickey Brown. With that No. 3 pick, Boston selected Hall of Famer Kevin McHale. Parrish and McHale went on to win three NBA championship with the Celtics. The Warriors? None.)

Anyway, enough with the torture that has victimized the Warriors year after year. For once, the 2012-13 season looks promising for the Warriors, but is contingent on Andrew Bogut producing at the center position. Here is a look at how Bogut will help the Warriors on both offense and defense:

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Could Bynum be the next Robert Parish?

 LA Lakers  No Responses »
May 142012
 

As a student of NBA history, I’ve examined some of the All-Time Great Hall of Fame (and future Hall of Fame) 7 footers and looked to see how Andrew Bynum could one day measure up to them before his career is all said and done. I’ll admit that most Laker fans have firmly concluded that Bynum won’t ever reach the pinnacles of legendary dominance reserved for the Shaquille O’Neals, Wilt Chamberlains, Kareem Abdul-Jabbars, Hakeem Olajuwons, Tim Ducans, and a few other All-Time great, legendary 7 footers. Those guys are simply in a league above Bynum at this point, and that may very well remain true for the remainder of Bynum’s career.

So that leaves the question, what levels of greatness can Bynum aspire to reach? What Hall of Fame center can Bynum one day measure up to as Drew looks to carve his own little niche in the annals of NBA lore? The answer? Legendary Celtic center Robert Parish.

If we just go by the career numbers, Bynum already matches up favorably with the legend Parish, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003. Parish and Bynum are very close in many areas, including career field goal percentage, free throw percentage, steals, blocks, and assists. Naturally, Bynum can close the gap in career scoring and career rebounding averages as he continues to have All-Star caliber seasons in the future, but even now they compare favorably in a lot of ways. Naturally Bynum will have to remain healthy for the vast majority of his prime years in order to truly close the statistical gaps that separate him from Parish, but it’s certainly a VERY attainable and realistic goal.

Now that I’ve mentioned their statistical similarities, I understand that there are some very dramatic difference between Parish and Bynum. For example, Parish was 50 pounds lighter than Bynum, and as a result it was easier for Parish to get up and down the floor during fast breaks and transition defense; things that Bynum still struggles with on a regular basis. Parish was also a very good outside shooter and a very consistently good free throw shooter, which are rarities for NBA centers.

Bynum has shown the aptitude to be a proficient jump shooter from 15 to 20 feet on the rare occasion he opts to take those shots, and Bynum has even expressed a desire to expand his shooting range to the 3 point line. It’s not inconceivable that Bynum could one day have the same reputation that Parish did as a reliable outside shooter. As for the free Throws, Drew is already right there with Parish, shooting very close to 70% on his career. Despite his slow start from the foul line this year, it seems like we can now trust Drew on most nights to convert his free throws at a high rate. Just look at the most recent game 7 VS Denver, where Drew was 8 of 11 from the free throw line, scoring half his points at the stripe, and converting his free throws at a 72% clip. Drew is shooting 73% from the foul line in the playoffs thus far, which is a proud mark for any NBA player, and outright AMAZING for a 7 foot center. Parish also did that kind of stuff all the time if his own career free throw shooting numbers are any clue.

Lastly, one thing I find most interesting about Bynum and Parish is that both of them played a significant part of their careers as part of a 1-2-3 punch combination that featured 2 gifted post scorers, and a dominant perimeter scorer. I just think that’s a very interesting coincidence and it’s become even more interesting as Bynum has shaken his injury troubled past, and continued his upward level of development to All-Star levels this season.

So now that we’ve discussed some of the similarities and differences between Parish and Bynum, I’ll leave it up to you guys to discuss and debate whether you feel that Bynum can VERY realistically one day measure up to an All-Time Great center like Robert Parish. The kinds of stats Drew put up this year (18 points, 11 rebounds, 1.9 blocks) are the same kinds of numbers Parish put up during the prime years of his career. Drew just needs to do that for another 6 to 8 years and after his career has ended, he’ll be right there in the discussion with Robert Parish as a legit Hall of Famer. With those consistent numbers, and multiple strong post-season performances, Drew might even get a chance to earn a spot for his jersey up in there in Staples center next to Chamberlain, Jabbar, Mikan, and the other All-Time great Laker centers one day.

I firmly believe that Bynum can still be one of 2 or 3 centerpiece players needed to build another Laker Dynasty in the post-Kobe years. The real trick will be finding a successor to Bryant and Gasol after they call it a career and take their final exit from the stage to join the other Laker legends of years past.

So in closing, I’ll be the first one to admit that Bynum may very well never be the next Shaq, the next Wilt, or the next Kareem, but greatness may yet still be in his future; because with continued luck in terms of his health, I think Bynum could at the very least be the next Robert Parish. And that would be quite an accomplishment indeed.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/parisro01.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bynuman01.html