Paul Pierce will be playing in his final year as he is set to retire after this coming season, but he looks to go out in style by winning a championship with the L.A. Clippers.
That will be the perfect ending to cap off a stellar 19-year career where he won an NBA championship in 2008 and was named an All-Star 10 times. But he knows, as much as his teammates, that it will take a season for the ages for them to make it past the second round of the playoffs, which the Clippers have not done yet.
They also need to beat other title-favorites from the Western Conference like the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs. It may be a tough mountain to climb, but with a great coach in Doc Rivers plus the experience The Truth brings to the table, it definitely is not impossible.
Pierce certainly knows that his team has the right tools to win it all, it's just a matter of getting them all to work together. He also considers the Clippers as a “Super Team” just like the heavily-favored Warriors. Per John Gonzales of SB Nation:
“To me, I think we have a superteam here. You look at Chris Paul, who’s been a First Team All-NBA. Blake Griffin, First Team. DeAndre Jordan, currently First Team All-NBA. How many teams can currently say that?
“We have the best three-point shooter in the NBA. We have the Sixth Man of the Year. Why is this not a superteam? What defines ‘superteam?’ When you look at those stats and you hear what I’m saying, this could very well, easily be what’s considered a superteam.”
The facts he mentioned are all true, and there's no reason the Clippers should not be considered a “Super Team” especially with the star-studded cast they have. But if results are the only basis for a team to be considered as such, they are not yet in the same category as the Warriors.
It will all boil down to what the team will accomplish during the playoffs. The number of wins in the regular season will not matter if they continue to make early exits.
This year will be a defining season for their trio which has played together the past four years, including their coach and sharpshooter, J.J. Redick. With Paul and Griffin both expected to become free agents after this season, it adds more pressure for them to win it all to keep the core intact.
With a championship, they can also give a fairy tale ending to Pierce and solidify his case to be a Hall of Famer in the future even more.
Follow Us
Subscribe