[NBACentral] “If I put Paul Pierce on the Golden State Warriors with Klay Thompson and Draymond and Steph Curry, you don’t think he could do the same…” — Keyshawn Johnson on Kevin Durant
July 29, 2024
Durant Career Stats – 27.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 50 FG%, 38.7 3PT%, 88% FT
Pierce Career Stats – 19.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 44 FG%, 36.8 3PT%, 80% FT
9 comments
They would’ve won those two titles in 17-18 with any notable upgrade over HB. All KD did was just make them unbeatable.
Pierce was a star but definitely not at the superstar tier. He would do decent but would fall short of what KD brought to the team.
KD going to a different team on that timeline could also impact our chances of winning the same amount of chips.
Keyshawn Johnson is the most unlikeable sports tv personality there is. He speaks as if he knows everything and never defers to anyone on anything even though it is outside his realm of expertise.
KD brought an incredible talent to the Dubs, but he brought one thing the Dubs lacked before he arrived and have lacked since he left. In critical, late-game situations, with defensive intensity ratcheted up to max, you could put the ball in his hands and no one in the League could stop him one-on-one. Say what you will about Steph and Klay, and all of the other Dynastic Warriors, they aren’t that.
Steph is very close, but the problem is that he gets double-teamed, and because of his height, he has trouble passing out of double teams. Obviously, Durant is much more able to pass over double teams if an opponent tries that on him.
I don’t put Paul Pierce in that category, so, no matter how productive he might have been on average, he wouldn’t have brought that kind of presence in the waning minutes of games.
Nope. Putting Pierce with the death lineup just doesn’t hit the same. Or having Dray play the 5 with pierce. He wouldn’t be the defender or play with the offensive efficiency KD had with the warriors.
lol, KD is multiple tiers beyond PP.
Rubbish. KD is a cold-blooded 7 ft sniper. He adds defensive height and inside outside offense that no other player brings to the table for that squad.
This isn’t even a debate. Warriors probably still win. The fact is, any superstar added to these Warriors team would have made that team unbeatable(position matters tho).
9 comments
They would’ve won those two titles in 17-18 with any notable upgrade over HB. All KD did was just make them unbeatable.
Pierce was a star but definitely not at the superstar tier. He would do decent but would fall short of what KD brought to the team.
KD going to a different team on that timeline could also impact our chances of winning the same amount of chips.
Keyshawn Johnson is the most unlikeable sports tv personality there is. He speaks as if he knows everything and never defers to anyone on anything even though it is outside his realm of expertise.
KD brought an incredible talent to the Dubs, but he brought one thing the Dubs lacked before he arrived and have lacked since he left. In critical, late-game situations, with defensive intensity ratcheted up to max, you could put the ball in his hands and no one in the League could stop him one-on-one. Say what you will about Steph and Klay, and all of the other Dynastic Warriors, they aren’t that.
Steph is very close, but the problem is that he gets double-teamed, and because of his height, he has trouble passing out of double teams. Obviously, Durant is much more able to pass over double teams if an opponent tries that on him.
I don’t put Paul Pierce in that category, so, no matter how productive he might have been on average, he wouldn’t have brought that kind of presence in the waning minutes of games.
Nope. Putting Pierce with the death lineup just doesn’t hit the same. Or having Dray play the 5 with pierce. He wouldn’t be the defender or play with the offensive efficiency KD had with the warriors.
lol, KD is multiple tiers beyond PP.
Rubbish. KD is a cold-blooded 7 ft sniper. He adds defensive height and inside outside offense that no other player brings to the table for that squad.
This isn’t even a debate. Warriors probably still win. The fact is, any superstar added to these Warriors team would have made that team unbeatable(position matters tho).
No