Paul Pierce isn’t called The Truth without a reason. When Pierce was interviewed and asked how he feels this season compared to the last, he didn’t have any problems with answering. First of all, the player said that he feels so much happier in Washington than he was in Brooklyn. The Nets had a pretty decent campaign last year, even though the expectations were much higher. They started the regular season a bit bad, as their record was 24-27 at a certain time, but in the final 31 games, they went 20-11. Nevertheless, according to Pierce the atmosphere in the team was simply horrible.
“It was just the guys’ attitudes there. It wasn’t like we were surrounded by a bunch of young guys. They were vets who didn’t want to play and didn’t want to practice. I was looking around saying, ‘What’s this?’ Kevin (Garnett) and I had to pick them up every day in practice. If me and Kevin weren’t there, that team would have folded up. That team would have packed it in. We kept them going each and every day.”
It’s not easy to imagine how Pierce and Garnett have made everyone get up and practice, but it seems that this was the reality back then. The lack of motivation was evident in last year’s Nets team, as they just didn’t look inspired by the court. They were too slow, they played ugly basketball and it was a bit of a surprise that they were able to defeat the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs.
Pierce continued the interview by discussing Deron Williams and how the point-guard could have done so much better:
“Before I got there, I looked at Deron as an MVP candidate. But I felt once we got there, that’s not what he wanted to be. He just didn’t want that. I think a lot of the pressure got to him sometimes. This was his first time in the national spotlight. The media in Utah is not the same as the media in New York, so that can wear on some people. I think it really affected him.”
It is true that Deron Williams has regressed in the last couple of years, but it’s a bit harsh to blame him this much. The point-guard has had a number of injuries that have affected him and his style of play. He is definitely not that explosive compared to his days with the Jazz, and that in my opinion is one of the reasons for his decline in form.
Paul Pierce has been a very important part for the Washington Wizards throughout this season, and he will definitely try to help them even more during the playoffs.
NBA News: Paul Pierce states that his last season with the Brooklyn Nets was "horrible"
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