The Complete Truth

Everybody knows Paul Pierce can score.  His reputation in the NBA is that of a tenacious scorer, capable of tormenting defenders and taking over offensively for stretches, using his combination of size and grace to muscle or slash his way into the lane or to the rim or to create space for his silky smooth mid-range jumper.  Unfortunately for Pierce, this is all he's been known as, and for several years he has been seen as only a ball-hogging chucker who couldn't defend anyone, more focused on padding his stats on an irrelevant team than winning games.  While this characterization seems fitting enough given the performances of him and his team for the past few seasons, this season Pierce has shown to the world what dedicated Celtics fans have known for years, that Pierce is a well rounded and versatile player on both ends of the floor, both willing and able to do whatever it takes to get his team a win.

It just so happened that before being surrounded by two all stars and a talented (and surprisingly deep) bench, Pierce had to take more shots in order to give his team a chance to win.  As a result of having to shoulder the offensive load for the Celtics, Pierce had less energy to devote to the defensive end of the floor, hence the lack of effort and the reputation as a turnstyle on the perimeter.  On the other end of the floor, Pierce was constantly facing double teams and was the focus of opposing defenses, giving him very few opportunities for easy baskets that are so crucial in establishing an offensive rhythm.  The end result of facing tremendous defensive pressure when he had the ball and being forced to rest on defense was Pierce's reputation as a selfish scorer and an incomplete, one dimensional player.

This season, which has been so redemptive for the Celtics in so many ways, has given Pierce the opportunity to show that he is truly a complete player who can be efficient and effective on both ends of the floor as more than a scorer.  Now that Pierce has two more all stars to help him shoulder the burden of leading the team every night, he has had the opportunity to focus himself on defense and exert himself, allowing him to become an effective perimeter defender and an integral part of the NBA's top defense.  Though this dramatic change doesn't show up on the stat sheets, it is plainly evident to anyone who has watched the Celtics play this season.  This year, Pierce is creating steals and turnovers, diving for loose balls, and generally harassing opposing player with the same level of defensive intensity that Pierce has always displayed on the offensive end of the court.  At least part, if not all of this shift in attitude has to be attributed to the infectious nature of Garnett's intensity and demeanor, however I believe that Pierce has always been an intense competitor, he just hasn't had the opportunity to show his fierceness on the defensive end.

The change in Pierce's offensive game this season has also been astounding this season, as he has transitioned from a volume shooter to a smar, efficient team player who trusts his teammates to make plays.  As a result of this trust, Pierce is attempting four fewer shots per game than his career average while shooting 46% from the floor (second only to his .471 FG% posted in the 2005-06 season).  This efficient output is a result of better shot selection from Pierce, and the multitude of easier shot opportunities that he is getting this season from the additions of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.  Pierce is also shooting 12% better than his career average from the land of three (37.9%), and is shooting a career high from the charity stripe (84.3%), though he is getting to the line less often than in years past.  Pierce is also averaging more than half an assist per game (4.7) better than his career average (4.1), while his turnovers per game are down under 3 for the first time in three seasons.  This shows that Pierce is not only focused on offense (the high free throw percentage and the better assist/turnover ratio), but that he's able to impact the offensive end of the floor without taking a lot of shots. 

With teammates he trusts, Pierce has shown that he is more than comfortable with the role of doing whatever he can to win games at the expense of his own scoring average (down to 20 PPG from his career average of 23.2).  Pierce is indeed a team player and a capable defender, and for the first time in his career, he's getting to show that he is multifaceted and versatile, and has had the necessary space to grow into a more complete basketball player.  Though Pierce's stats are not as gawdy as some of the other superstars in the NBA, this season he has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is a winner, a fierce competitor, an excellent defender and an efficient offensive and unselfish player who is a threat to score from anywhere on the floor.  By showing this kind of versatility and willingness to adapt his game, Pierce has once again demonstrated that he is an elite player in this league in the same class as Kobe, LeBron, Ginobili, Chris Paul, Gilbert Arenas, or whomever else you consider as the elite players of the NBA.  He's convinced me this season, but in order to convince everyone outside of Massachusetts of his supremacy and cement his already impressive legacy in Celtic lore, Pierce has to bring home the championship trophy.