Reply With Quote
Don't see him opting out but if he does he'd be a great pick up.
Born: Oct 13, 1977
Height: 6-7 / 2.01
Weight: 235 lbs. / 106.6 kg.
Prior to NBA / Country: Kansas / USA
Years Pro: 14
Info
$15.3M salary that is $5M guaranteed and becomes fully guaranteed on July 1st.
Don't see him opting out but if he does he'd be a great pick up.
It's a team option to buy him out for $5M on a $15M salary for next year.
Would be an insanely good pickup. Playing in the Spurs system should bring his efficiency up since he won't be relied on as much. Tony, Manu, Tim, Pierce as offensive weapons? Kawhi with a developing shot? Ridiculous offense. Highly doubt we'll have the money, though.
Not sure how good he would fit.
I'm wondering how much money, he'd really need. He'd be getting a $5M parting gift from Boston already. Surely he's made a ton of money in his career.
He's a smart player, and skilled. I think he'd do much better playing 28 minutes here as opposed to 40 in Boston. Not sure if Pop wants a Blood on the team, though.
Good point. It would also give more reason to get rid of Green, who I can't stand.
No brainer, if he is willing to take a significant pay cut. If the Celtics drop him by paying him off with guaranteed money, there is a very good chance he could land up with the Spurs but that would also depend upon what the Spurs themselves do in the post season. If the Spurs go all the way to the NBA finals, chances are that Pierce might want to chase a ring with them next season.
Would be a great back-up to Leonard and could also eventually start in the playoffs instead of Green, if healthy.
I can't imagine Pierce being willing to accept a backup role. He's still arguably better than Leonard now and for someone who's been top dog for so long, it may be hard to get into the right mentality to come off the bench.
Would he start at the two? Maybe. It's possible he and Leonard could work on as the wings, so long as the opposing two-guard is not just another point. Despite what a lot of people think, I am not comfortable with Leonard's defense on points yet, and I sure wouldn't be comfortable with Pierce's.
As the backup three, maybe. As the starting two, not really. In any event, I'd rather the Spurs look for a young athletic wing with upside like Wes Johnson over Pierce. The Spurs championship hopes depend on Leonard breaking out and Ginobili staying healthy. If both of those things happen, there just isn't that much room for another ball-dominating wing.
For starters, Pierce had to carry the offense of a hobbled Celtics team despite being 36 years old and too much mileage on his legs. Still, despite his high usage rate, his general output was very efficient, with high pass rating, good total scoring percentage, foul drawing rate (all relative to his position at SF). He was also a very efficient defender limiting his opponents to a PER of 13.1 and also pretty decent adjusted +/- numbers.
It wasn't the same for him in the playoffs, when his usage rate shot, and he played close to 90% of the Celtics' minutes. It is clear that it was too much to take for him at this age and if he played more spot minutes and had to play a more secondary role, his output could have been maximised into greater win shares.
It is therefore a no brainer that he would be ideal in a Spurs team playing either the 2 or the 3 position. He and Ginobili could actually complement each other while Green and Leonard continue to mature and their usage rates increase.
It would be stupid for the Spurs to try to rely on brainless, dumb and limited but athletic players such as Wes Johnson.
Spurs could surely jettison Gary Neal next season, who hasn't improved a lick since his rookie season. Green is still too streaky and De Colo needs another season, I suppose, before he takes over a spot that is bound to be left by Ginobili as he probably retires next season or the season after that.
The only hitch for the Spurs is going to be ..whether Pierce will take a massive salary hit at all and of course, if the Celtics are going to trade him at all (or release him, which is possible but not to their best interest).
Would rather go for Iguodala tbh
better defender who can play the 2 and 3
and handle the ball for the bench when ginobili gets injured
Paul Pierce isn't a 2 guard, guys. Not sure how he'd fit here. I'd love it, but he'd basically be taking Kawhi's minutes.
Tbh, we should find a way to get Pierce and Gasol. Then we'll be the great team of le-winning veterans going for one last hoorah! 30+ year old le-winning players including Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, Paul Pierce, and Paul Gasol!
If the Spurs feel comfortable with their big rotation, there isn't a better option than Pierce as a Wing. He can't play 40mpg anymore, but with Kawhi, Green and Manu here already, he doesn't have to. If you got him for 2 years at 5 million a year, that's still a good deal. Iggy is probably the only better wing, but he should be out of our price range.
1) Iggy gonna get PAID. We likely won't have the cap room, or a role for such a highly paid player.
2) He can't ing shoot.
Iguodala is not going to be worth the contract he gets. He's going to get 10m/yr +
If the spurs are going to make a "splash" in FA, I'd rather they pay a SG like Evans. Casspi or/and Bertans should be great at the back up 3 role.
Evans, Casspi and Bertans? I pray that isn't our plan.
Why not? I see Bertans coming over this summer. Excellent shooter. I agree with overs who have stated that Casspi (or a cheap Casspi type) is good depth while Bertans adapts to the NBA. That covers the 3 depth.
With Evans I'm thinking post-Manu. Insert who'd you'd like, but Spurs will need a creator on the wings in a year or two. As for bigs, the way TD is playing I for one like a TD-Splitter-Baynes-Diaw-Bonner front court rotation. If they really want a big they can draft a project big with the 28th.
What would you have the Spurs do this offseason? Sign Josh Smith? Or are you assuming the Lakers amnesty Gasol and the Spurs make a play?
So far in this thread, people have said they'd prefer Wes Johnson, Tyreke Evans or Omri Casspi over Paul Pierce. I wonder if any of you actually watch basketball.
No one is debating he wasn't a good player. It all depends on whether the Spurs should make moves for the future in mind as much as for present. thats my view at least.
btw Dude will be 36 by training camp though, and he looked old this past series on both ends of the court while Shooting 36% from the field and 26% from 3.
Last edited by CGD; 05-05-2013 at 03:49 PM. Reason: Typo
First, I'd say the future doesn't really matter. Once Timmy retires, our championship window will close. A player like Tyreke Evans or Casspi won't make any difference to that. We need to concentrate on the now, the next 2 years, and Pierce is a now player.
Second, I'd argue his numbers don't do him justice. He had to be a #1 option for Boston, and he just isn't that player anymore. Put him on the Spurs as a #3 option playing Manu minutes (25 mpg regular season, 32 mpg playoffs) and he would shine.
A wing rotation of Manu/Green/Kawhi/Pierce would be incredible. Personally I'd prefer another 4 and sign a cheaper backup SF with the Room exception, but failing that Pierce would be an excellent acquisition.
The Spurs don't need another aging superstar. They need a player who is either a great fit for their system or has the potential to be. Pierce doesn't fit the bill there. He's over the hill but still has that superstar mentality. There's no reason to think he'd be fine with a role as a backup. Even if he were, that doesn't make him a great fit with Ginobili. Ideally, the Spurs would want their backup three to be a defender/shooter like Jimmy Butler. With Ginobili, Diaw and potentially De Colo (or improved Joseph) in place, the backup unit doesn't need another ball-user.
The Spurs aren't the Lakers; they don't just throw the biggest names together and expect everything to work out. Pierce would only help the Spurs if Ginobili were out, but even then, it's not like he's great at carrying a unit by himself, if what you say about him is true.
I just disagree with the premise, but that's my opinion. As a small market team the Spurs should be considering continuity post big three era. Sure Evan's star is not as high as when he won Rookie of the year, but I think on a good team he can regain that form. He is 23 and been in exile in Sactown. Evans is someone i like, but one could insert another creating SG of choice here if they'd like. Casspi is more about giving Bertans 1 or 2 years to become a reliable backup SF contributor (or insurance if he's a bust). I don't expect him to be the future.
Agree that Pierce could be an good 3rd or 4th option. For reasons you stated he is not a first option; though, even as a 3/4 option his declining D is problematic. But more importantly I just wonder if he'd be willing to play ball as a back up if he's been the man all these years. If he is, I'm not going to be upset if the Spurs sign him. Still, my personal preference is to begin the youth movement and create overlap/continuity between and the Leonard-centric Spurs over the next two years.
With respect to getting a big, I'm torn here. Id like to see what Baynes can offer and draft a project Big. Matty and Boris are serviceable. If something needs to change, Spurs can look for relief at the Feb trade line by packaging Diaw/Mills expiring contracts (nearly 6m) + Bonner's deal (I think he'll be kept).
I like the idea of Garcia or Brewer at the backup 3. Evans isn't necessarily a bad idea but there a lot of question marks there. He's still very young though so that's nice.
I agree that the Spurs need to look for more of a 2 then a 3 but need to sign both. Somebody who can create their own shot and offense. Pierce doesn't fit in here great because it takes Leonard out of his natural position at times but he can score and create offense. For the right price he's worth a look but I agree I have doubts about how he fits as I said above.
Manu might be good for 40 games next year at 20 mpg so people need to start taking this into account. If the Spurs roll out a guard rotation of Parker-Joseph-De Colo - Green and Manu , I would call that a pretty stupid move. Adding Casspi or Bertans doesn't add anything to that group either.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
