Since his retirement, Hall of Fame forward Paul Pierce has had plenty of controversial statements to make regarding current and former players. Whether they're type of statements that make your scratch your head and furrow your brow or bite down as you try to hold in a laugh, all that can be said for certain is that when Pierce speaks, it gets people's attention.
That said, Pierce appeared to be right on the money when discussing Boston Celtics star guard Jaylen Brown.
Paul Pierce compares Jaylen Brown’s situation in Boston to James Harden’s situation in OKC and Tracy McGrady’s situation in Toronto
"Maybe Jaylen wants the opportunity to be 'the guy'"
(Via @SiriusXMNBA ) pic.twitter.com/8JjhOOJAXh
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) March 24, 2023
Brown has been in the news plenty lately, denouncing an overtly racist section of Celtics fans and declining to commit to remaining with Boston for the long-term. He even vocalized his concerns about the rumors involving his name around the trade deadline, saying that he had to call up teammate Jayson Tatum himself to see whether or not Tatum was trying to team up with Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant.
Yet, all the circumstantial factors in Brown's sudden inclination to speak out against the Celtics aside, Pierce's idea that the former third overall pick wants to lead his own team isn't far-fetched at all.
For one, Brown has been one of the hardest working players since entering the league. Questions about whether he could transform is raw athleticism into real skill have been answered, and Brown is producing at All-Star levels as well.
Furthermore, no matter how well Brown plays, teammate Jayson Tatum will always be the face of the franchise. Whether that's because he came into the league with a more NBA-ready game or because the Celtics just feel he's just more marketable, it doesn't matter, because the end result is the same for Brown.
So, yes.
Perhaps like James Harden or Tracy McGrady, with whom he has trained, Brown wouldn't mind being “the guy.”
Follow Us
Subscribe