Are the Celtics destined to win it all? Paul Pierce explains why this year is ‘just different.’
The Celtics legend talks about championship expectations, a refreshing display of unselfishness from Jayson Tatum, and a piece of advice for JB and JT.
With a sizeable lead atop the Eastern Conference standings and a 10th consecutive playoff appearance clinched, the Celtics have answered nearly every question about how their pieces fit together.
Kristaps Porzingis has added a new dimension to the offense with his ability to score in the post and knock down outside shots. Jrue Holiday has paired well with Derrick White, forming one of the best defensive backcourts in the NBA. The Celtics bench, led by Al Horford, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser, has raised its collective game.
However, one big question remains in the minds of Celtics fans: Is this the year that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown make the leap and lead the Celtics to a much-anticipated 18th NBA title?
“It has to be,” Celtics legend Paul Pierce told Boston.com during an event promoting his partnership with Bushmills Irish Whiskey. “I know it sounds like ‘wow, that’s a lot of pressure,’ but this is what we want. We only hang championship banners in here. This is the pressure we want in Boston, and the expectation we have in this city.”
The Celtics have come close to a title in recent years, losing to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals and falling to the Miami Heat in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.
But Pierce says the arrival of Porzingis and Holiday gave the team a whole new feel that was evident from the start of the preseason.
“When you really felt it is when the new players came. It’s just like it was a different energy, man,” Pierce said. “I come every year to training camp, to games, and I see the fans. It’s just different now and I feel it in the way they play, the way they approach it every day. I’ve seen these guys grow and mature from guys who I felt like were learning how to be leaders to now where they have to lead for sure.”
Both Tatum and Brown are averaging around three points less per game than last season. Pierce said their trust in teammates and willingness to sacrifice to win has been noticeable.
“You’ve got to understand: Jayson and Jaylen have been in multiple All-Star games,” Pierce said. “They’ve been to the Finals. They’ve made deep runs in the playoffs. They’ve made a lot of money in this game. I know that all they care about that’s left on the list is a championship.”
“I see the sacrifice. Jayson doesn’t have to score 30 for them to win this year. He was scoring 30 last year,” Pierce added. “This year, he’ll go into a game and I’ll look up and he’ll have 18 points and they’ll win by 20. That has to be a refreshing feeling because I felt that way. There was a lot of pressure on me to score every night for us to win, and when Kevin [Garnett] and Ray [Allen] came I knew that I had other guys that could lift me up. I know that Jayson and Jaylen understand that now.”
Pierce, along with Allen and Garnett, led the Celtics to their most recent title in 2008. It was Pierce’s 10th season in the NBA. The Celtics finished dead last in the Eastern Conference the year before.
But the new infusion of talent, an unselfish attitude, and the way the bench players pushed the starters made it clear early on that the 2008 team had what it took to win it all.
“I think I noticed it after our second practice in Rome,” Pierce said. “The first practice, we come together and we’re still learning each other. We go through the drills hard and we scrimmage the second team. The second team kicks our a**, and they’re talking about it.”
“When I tell you, we came back to that second-day practice and I think we beat them like five times in a row,” Pierce said. “I don’t know if they even scored. I was like ‘whoa, I’ve never seen anything like this’. It was the unselfishness. It was the most intense practice I had ever been a part of. I was like ‘We’re going to win it,’ I remember saying that after the second practice. True story.”
Pierce said he’s talked with Tatum and Brown about the position that they are in, having a legitimate shot to bring Boston it’s first NBA championship in 16 years.
Next month, Tatum and Brown will begin their seventh journey through the playoffs together. Although they already have a lot of playoff experience, it’s more important than ever to remain locked in.
“I just try to tell them, just like I told you, about the bond that we had,” Pierce said. “This is something that they’re in the position to create and it’s a beautiful feeling. I tell them and want them to understand this: Don’t get bored with the process.”
“Yeah, you’ve been together for a while,” Pierce added. “Yeah you guys have been beaten in the playoffs and have been to the Finals, and the tendency is, ‘OK, this year, let’s get to the playoffs’ and you start thinking about the playoffs too early. There’s a process to get where you want to be and you can’t get bored with that. But also, enjoy it. The season is long. Enjoy each other’s company. Enjoy the ride. Enjoy the journey. Know that everybody has a common goal and always talk about it.”
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