Paul Pierce, Where You At?

Let me say this first, as to not spark any outlandish comments (Actually, I still probably will). I am not a Boston Celtics fan, largely in part because I am a Laker fan. That's already a given. But I am an addict of basketball and furthermore, a respect anybody that has a gift, regardless of who it is. Tim Duncan? Sure, he doesn't smile and has only showed emotion once in his entire NBA career, but his game is pure; I recognize that. Karl Malone? I didn't like him much either, but his jumpshot and post game were unstoppable, and will forever be remembered for that. Paul Pierce...yeah, I don't know what to say. He can make a jumpshot, he can get to hole, but it sure isn't pretty. When you look at his career stats, he's a top guard in the league, averaging just over 22 points eleven year career, has a bunch of All-Star nods, and yes, that championship ring and that Bill Russell MVP of the NBA Finals Trophy. Towards the end of the season, as Garnett was out due to injury, and Ray Allen took the rest of the year off, Pierce held it down. He was throwing himself into MVP talk because he was a man playing out of his mind. And that, I respected. A player putting the team on his own back and carrying him, that's what somebody like him is supposed to do. But then when you really think about that, isn't that what is expected of him? This is his team, and KG and Ray Ray came here to help him. He should've been doing it in the first place. And when you start the playoffs, already struggling a bit and being hit with a whole bunch of bad news (Garnett and Ainge's heart attack), you expect a leader to come out and shine. And really...all I can think about was what he said last summer.