NBA: Clyde "The Glide" Drexler vs. Paul "The Truth" Pierce

**The Reckoning** · 10-17-2013

drexler had a better supporting cast and athleticism. pierce has a better bball iq imo.

**ambchang** · 10-17-2013

People have selective memories, pierce also effectively locked up Lebron in 2008 eastern semis iirc holding lebron to 40% shooting. Pierce is anything but average, don't let the lack of all defensive selection fool you.

There's a reason why Lebron named pierce as his biggest rival. Prime pierce was tough as nails.

Pierce was a great compe or, but using the Lebron example was poor. The Celtics were ganging up on Lebron because there wasn't another guy on the Cavs Boston had to guard. It's not like Lebron had the most dominating frontline to pass to when he was tripled.

**TXstbobcat** · 10-17-2013

Drexler over Pierce but not by much.

**Phillip** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by RsxPiimp

People have selective memories, pierce also effectively locked up Lebron in 2008 eastern semis iirc holding lebron to 40% shooting. Pierce is anything but average, don't let the lack of all defensive selection fool you.

There's a reason why Lebron named pierce as his biggest rival. Prime pierce was tough as nails.

Originally Posted by ambchang

Pierce was a great compe or, but using the Lebron example was poor. The Celtics were ganging up on Lebron because there wasn't another guy on the Cavs Boston had to guard. It's not like Lebron had the most dominating frontline to pass to when he was tripled.

Looks like ambchang took the words right out of my mouth. Talk about selective memories... RsxPiimp will do anything to try to trash Lebron by talking out of his ass.

**RsxPiimp** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by Phillip

Looks like ambchang took the words right out of my mouth. Talk about selective memories... RsxPiimp will do anything to try to trash Lebron by talking out of his ass.

Why are you so ing sensitive when it comes to Lebron ? It was a serious discussion until you become defensive. I'm not trying to trash Lebron, i can do that some other time. Pierce did well against Lebron, let's not sugarcoat that and be objective at least.

That post wasn't to bring Lebron down, but to show Pierce can take a defensive task well, it was a rebuttal to that re ed take that pierce is an average defender. Smh.

**JamStone** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by ambchang

Again, factoring in minutes played. DRtg was a product of team D as well, so that should be compared to his own teammates. For example, Garnett had DWS of around 5 to 6, Rondo hovers around 5. Again, Pierce wasn't bad, just that he wasn't all that phenomenal.

I don't understand this response. You were the one who brought up DRtg and DWS to begin with. Now you're trying to qualify it and discredit it as it applies to Pierce. Why did you mention it at all in the first place? Pierce put up very good defensive (advanced stats) seasons even before playing with KG and Rondo, including a season where he posted a 99 DRtg and a 5.6 DWS... again WITHOUT KG and Rondo.

Pierce has always been a very good defender. But as some have already mentioned and/or suggested, as many other high scoring players, he has not always been nor could he always be committed 100% to the defensive end like guys like Bowen or Tony Allen. That's just not realistic when you're a primary scorer. And even guys like Jordan and LeBron did the same thing. Guys like Pippen and Rodman helped take on that responsibility for Jordan for much of any given game. Same with Shane Battier and Haslem for LeBron. Pierce never completely locked down LeBron in those playoff meetings, but he did about as well as anyone else could, including guys like Bowen or Artest.

Pierce is very underrated as a defender. Was he as good as Bowen or Artest? No. But when he and his team needed him to be, he actually wasn't all that far off. Very, very good defender. Smart defender. Good combination of size, length, and strength for a wing player. And he knew how to utilize his teammates to his advantage defensively.

**Phillip** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by RsxPiimp

Why are you so ing sensitive when it comes to Lebron ? It was a serious discussion until you become defensive. I'm not trying to trash Lebron, i can do that some other time. Pierce did well against Lebron, let's not sugarcoat that and be objective at least.

That post wasn't to bring Lebron down, but to show Pierce can take a defensive task well, it was a rebuttal to that re ed take that pierce is an average defender. Smh.

Considering you spent an entire afternoon pulling up quotes from years ago to try to trash Lebron, it's pretty obvious that any chance you can get a shot in on him, you take it. got.

**Proxy** · 10-17-2013

Hard to compare these players since I assume half of this board didn't grow up watching Drexler like they did Pierce. Clyde is a highlight reel and advanced stats to a lot of us.

Reading the exchange between ambchang, Phillip, and JamStone has me leaning Pierce.

**ambchang** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by JamStone

I don't understand this response. You were the one who brought up DRtg and DWS to begin with. Now you're trying to qualify it and discredit it as it applies to Pierce. Why did you mention it at all in the first place? Pierce put up very good defensive (advanced stats) seasons even before playing with KG and Rondo, including a season where he posted a 99 DRtg and a 5.6 DWS... again WITHOUT KG and Rondo.

Pierce has always been a very good defender. But as some have already mentioned and/or suggested, as many other high scoring players, he has not always been nor could he always be committed 100% to the defensive end like guys like Bowen or Tony Allen. That's just not realistic when you're a primary scorer. And even guys like Jordan and LeBron did the same thing. Guys like Pippen and Rodman helped take on that responsibility for Jordan for much of any given game. Same with Shane Battier and Haslem for LeBron. Pierce never completely locked down LeBron in those playoff meetings, but he did about as well as anyone else could, including guys like Bowen or Artest.

Pierce is very underrated as a defender. Was he as good as Bowen or Artest? No. But when he and his team needed him to be, he actually wasn't all that far off. Very, very good defender. Smart defender. Good combination of size, length, and strength for a wing player. And he knew how to utilize his teammates to his advantage defensively.

Know what? I dropped the ball on this one. I have always viewed the celtics defense to be Garnett and rondo but again stats have point us the right way. I have under estimated the defense of pierce and looked at it based on observation alone.

**RsxPiimp** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by Phillip

Considering you spent an entire afternoon pulling up quotes from years ago to try to trash Lebron, it's pretty obvious that any chance you can get a shot in on him, you take it. got.

You must be really young or simply a dumbass not to realize when someone is trying to have a mature conversation with you. That tiny cerebral cortex of your brain asked for a real discussion yet you're the one who wants to subconsciously derail his own thread by allowing your emotion to take over proper reasoning. Relax

**Phillip** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by RsxPiimp

You mus

t be really young or simply a dumb

ass not t

o realize when someone is trying to have a matur

e conversation with you. That tiny cer

ebral cortex of your brain

asked for a real

discussion yet you're the one who w

ants to subconsciously derail his

own thread by all

owing your emotion to

take over proper reaso

ning. Relax

**m>s** · 10-17-2013

pierce was a solid defender not "average" by any means by any statistic imaginable, and the better creator/number 1 option and clutch. guys who like flashy dunks and who also happen to be fans of blake griffin choose drexler.

**m>s** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by ambchang

Know what? I dropped the ball on this one. I have always viewed the celtics defense to be Garnett and rondo but again stats have point us the right way. I have under estimated the defense of pierce and looked at it based on observation alone.

i was going to rip you and then i saw this, props for being one of like <1% of this board who can man up

**FkLA** · 10-17-2013

KG>Dirk tbh

**StrengthAndHonor** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by RsxPiimp

You must be really young or simply a dumbass not to realize when someone is trying to have a mature conversation with you. That tiny cerebral cortex of your brain asked for a real discussion yet you're the one who wants to subconsciously derail his own thread by allowing your emotion to take over proper reasoning. Relax

I agree. I try to steer away from people who can't hold a conversation in this forum. There's just so many immature posters in this board. Sad because they overwhelm a few great basketball minds in this board.

**StrengthAndHonor** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by m>s

pierce was a solid defender not "average" by any means by any statistic imaginable, and the better creator/number 1 option and clutch. guys who like flashy dunks and who also happen to be fans of blake griffin choose drexler.

Yeah, Pierce is solid. One of the most underrated player of his era.

**HarlemHeat37** · 10-17-2013

Pierce isn't underrated at all, tbh..he has received a ton of hype since Boston won the le, which has inflated his pre-Big 3 career, leading to most people ignoring that he wasn't any better than Carter or McGrady at the time..

I'm not hating on Pierce, I'd take him in this comparison and he deserves his hype, but he's far from underrated IMO..

**tlongII** · 10-17-2013

Clyde. Obviously.

**baseline bum** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by tlongII

Clyde. Obviously.

**Clipper Nation** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by RsxPiimp

Why are you so ing sensitive when it comes to Lebron ?

**Leetonidas** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by Clipper Nation

**Clipper Nation** · 10-18-2013

Wrong thread

**lefty** · 10-18-2013

who cares

They both on Kobe

**Killakobe81** · 10-18-2013

Originally Posted by ambchang

Know what? I dropped the ball on this one. I have always viewed the celtics defense to be Garnett and rondo but again stats have point us the right way. I have under estimated the defense of pierce and looked at it based on observation alone.

Proud of you admitting you were wrong about Pierce ...but shocked that a man who appears as observant as you appear could not see that without stats. You have Pierce one of the best sf of his era playing on a marquee franchise (plenty of chances to watch) and it takes Jam ting on your own stats to realize that Pierce was a good defender?!
Now I get why you cling to stats you can't see obvious things that you should not need drating or win shares to validate. You need them. This is not a bash I just understand your perspective a lot better. Cling to those numbers, Amb and you will always be one of my favorite posters ... I get you.

**TDMVPDPOY** · 10-18-2013

was there even a season in pp career he was in mvp talk? none i believe?

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