Paul Pierce isn't liking and/or bookmarking the New York Knicks come this postseason.
The Hall-of-Famer, best known for his 15-year tenure with the Boston Celtics, offered an unflattering simile for old adversaries, referring to the current group as "Instagram models" on "KG Certified," the BetMGM web series hosted by Kevin Garnett.
"I'll be on Instagram and I'll be like, damn, she's fine," Pierce told Garnett, his fellow former Bostonian and 2008 champion. "Then you catch them in person and you’re like (gestures from left to right) ‘this you?’ It’s too many filters!"
Recency bias perhaps plays a part in Pierce's assessment: New York (36-25) has gone 5-8 since winning 12 of 14 in January, but that record is partly tainted by the long-term absences of starters OG Anunoby, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson. Pierce could perhaps also be swayed by the Knicks' struggles against his former employers, as New York has dropped each of their first four meetings against the NBA-leading Celtics this season.
While maintaining a mutual hatred of the Knicks, Garnett praised the Knicks' mettle for their Sunday showing in Cleveland: despite losing All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson to a knee injury in the opening minute, New York took down the then-second-place team in the Eastern Conference by a 107-98 final.
Garnett implied that the East's NBA Finals bid could come down to a New York-Boston showdown in the conference finals and chastised Pierce's assessment in an X post, calling his friend "a fool."
"They stepped up after losing Brunson and got a big dub (on Sunday)!" Garnett lauded. "No excuses, business handled."
If/when the Knicks return to full strength, they'll undoubtedly stand as one of the most potent threats to the Celtics' perch atop the East. On paper, New York holds one of the deepest 11-man rotations in the Association but the group has yet to play a game together.
More must-reads: