Paul Pierce Talks Nets Tenure, Kevin Garnett, Retirement, More in ESPN Interview
From the outside looking in, the 2013-14 Brooklyn Nets were a cataclysmic disaster—$190 million set ablaze on aging veterans who never fit together and resulted in a second-round exit in the postseason.
It turns out it was even worse on the inside.
Speaking with Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com, Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce spoke on his one-season experience in Brooklyn, criticizing the laissez-faire attitude of the team's veterans:
"It was a tough situation (in Brooklyn) last year. Horrible, really.
It was just the guys' attitudes there. It wasn't like we were surrounded by a bunch of young guys. They were vets who didn't want to play and didn't want to practice. I was looking around saying, 'What's this?' Kevin (Garnett) and I had to pick them up every day in practice.
"
Pierce arrived alongside Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry in a blockbuster deal that sent three unprotected first-round picks (2014, 2016 and 2018) to Boston in exchange for the title-winning veterans. Expected to compete for an NBA championship, the Nets were a massive disappointment, finishing 44-38 and losing to the Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs.
Speaking with MacMullan, Pierce was especially critical of point guard Deron Williams, the $100 million man whose arrival with the Nets helped usher in a new era:
"Before I got there, I looked at Deron as an MVP candidate. But I felt once we got there, that's not what he wanted to be. He just didn't want that. I think a lot of the pressure got to him sometimes. This was his first time in the national spotlight. The media in Utah is not the same as the media in New York, so that can wear on some people. I think it really affected him.
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Williams has gone from perennial All-Star to afterthought over the last few seasons, a result of injuries and his own offensive downturn. He's averaging 13.0 points and 6.6 assists per game in 2014-15, both among his career worsts, while shooting under 40 percent for the first time.
Pierce says the situation in Washington, where the Wizards are headed for the No. 5 seed despite their own swoon, is far better. He's taken on a mentor role with guards John Wall and Bradley Beal, though that's come with its own pitfalls.
"When can we get Pierce's comments about Wittman?
— Tom Ziller (@teamziller) April 14, 2015"
"I talk to them a lot about mental preparation and consistency,'' Pierce said. "I keep telling Wall and Beal, 'You've got to make up your mind. Do you want to be good, or do you want to be great? Because if you want to be great, you gotta do it every single night, not just when you feel like it.'"
Wall and Beal will have to heed Pierce's lessons soon. The 10-time All-Star told MacMullan he plans on retiring after next season, the last of his two-year, $10.5 million contract with Washington. If this interview is any indication, Pierce appears ready to take the Kobe Bryant route and go with full-fledged honesty on his way out—whether anyone likes it or not.
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