Bullets Forever - Wizards sign Paul Pierce after losing Trevor Ariza"Ain't No Luck"https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48097/BulletsForever-fv.png2014-07-13T13:43:55-04:00http://www.bulletsforever.com/rss/stream/56597622014-07-13T13:43:55-04:002014-07-13T13:43:55-04:00Nets reportedly didn't make Pierce an offer
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<p>The Nets were too concerned about their huge luxury-tax bill to give Pierce a competitive offer, which is why he left.</p> <p>If you're like me, you were wondering how Paul Pierce came to D.C. for a price that the free-spending Brooklyn Nets could have easily paid themselves. The explanation: Brooklyn wants to get younger (and cheaper) and thus didn't even make him a competitive offer once it became clear he might leave.</p>
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<p>Nets had the chance to re-sign Pierce and passed, according to league sources. Would have cost them upwards of $20 million in luxury taxes.</p>
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimBontemps/statuses/488175655708676096">July 13, 2014</a>
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<p>Sources say Nets passed on re-signing Pierce, opting to develop younger forwards like Karasev/ Bogdanovic instead of paying more to keep PP</p>
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) <a href="https://twitter.com/NotoriousOHM/statuses/488182859849416704">July 13, 2014</a>
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<p><a href="http://www.netsdaily.com/2014/7/13/5894767/stein-paul-pierce-signs-with-washington-wizards-for-full-mle">Nets Daily adds more details</a>:</p>
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<p>The Nets reportedly were ready to offer Pierce between $6 million and $8 million while Pierce wanted between $9 million and $10 million. However, Billy King repeatedly emphasized that the Nets wanted to be "financially responsible" and others within the organization said that the level of spending last season could not be "sustained in the future," with the Nets liable for the repeater tax if they are over the tax threshold by the end of the 2014-15 season.
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<p>Brooklyn's change in direction is Washington's gain. Nevertheless, it's interesting to see how little Pierce was valued by the team he's leaving. We'll take it.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2014/7/13/5895741/paul-pierce-wizards-nets-contract-nba-2014Mike Prada2014-07-13T12:52:27-04:002014-07-13T12:52:27-04:00With Pierce signing, Wittman's now under pressure
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<p>With Paul Pierce signing with the Wizards, the pieces are in place for Washington to make it back to the playoffs. The pressure is now firmly on Randy Wittman to make it all work.</p> <p>The news of <a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2014/7/13/5894777/paul-pierce-signs-wizards-nets-nba-2014">Paul Pierce joining the Wizards</a> couldn't be more startling for reasons that have very little to do with the idea that a future Hall of Famer is choosing to possibly end his career here.</p>
<p>It's startling because no one saw this coming. <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Wizards</a> management knows how to keep their intentions under wraps, and this is just the latest example. This is straight out of left field and nowhere near <span>Randy Wittman's</span> neck of the woods. His offense has more or less been a traditional attack centered around John Wall's dribble-drive game and the multi-faceted ability of his two starting big men. And his defense, finishing top-10 in efficiency two years running, consists of a string of rotations from his wings while his big men corral ball handlers in the lane.</p>
<p>This signing goes against a lot of that. Pierce may have very well extended his career past it's original expiration date the second <span>Jason Kidd</span> unleashed him as a small-ball power forward two months into last season. With so many weapons on offense and no shortage of players capable of taking defenders off-the-dribble, the focus shifts to Randy Wittman, who has a very interesting dilemma on his hands.</p>
<h4>How was Pierce so effective on offense last season?</h4>
<p>What made Brooklyn such an interesting case study last season was their roster makeup. They had multiple players that could pass, dribble and shoot, all of whom spent time playing out of position. But what made them so potent was that all of them could play out of the post.</p>
<p><span>Deron Williams</span> and <span>Shaun Livingston</span> created mismatches all over the floor. Both have size advantages over their point guard counterparts, and they had the entire paint to operate from due to the collection of shooters on the roster. Defenses had to pick their poison. Leave your point guard defender on an island and either Williams or Livingston backed him down for two points. Send help, and they kicked it out to the perimeter, triggering a series of rotations as they whip it around before getting the ball to Pierce or Johnson.</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Sde5iEJGcnY" frameborder="0"></iframe> <br id="1405246774129"></p>
<p>Pierce is hardly even quicker than most power forwards at this stage in his career, but he's had plenty of practice being the slower guy. Even in his prime, he rarely had the athletic advantage over his opponents, yet he always found a way to attack. Few were better at getting to the free throw line, and he's already mastered the art of the pull-up jumper. His shot fake is lethal against hard closeouts and his footwork is second to none once he gets into the lane.</p>
<p>Now, he's slowly taking the next step in his evolution. He was a 39 percent spot up shooter from deep last season and 43 percent in transition, per Synergy Sports. No one expected his game to age this well.</p>
<h4>How was he on defense?</h4>
<p>The <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Nets</a> imposed themselves on teams with their length, walking a fine line between trapping pick and rolls and dropping the big man back into the lane, a practice Grantland's Zach Lowe highlighted <a href="http://grantland.com/features/a-team-grows-in-brooklyn/">in his piece earlier in the year.</a></p>
<p>Playing so many different iterations of small lineups will inevitably leave you at a disadvantage, and Pierce was almost always at the forefront of them. He knows where to position himself on pick and rolls and does a good job leveraging his body against larger opponents, but after so many years of wear and tear, he'll struggle. The Nets were second to only the <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Clippers</a> last season for the lowest rebounding rate in the league.</p>
<p>The question is if he can shift back to a more traditional setting. The Nets were a train wreck on both ends of the floor when Lopez was healthy and Pierce playing the 3. He wasn't quick enough to defend small forwards full-time last year, which could be problematic if Washington isn't able to fall back on <span>Otto Porter</span>.</p>
<h4>Will Wittman go small?</h4>
<p>Two things are clear at the moment: Washington must look to taper down Nene's minutes and they must go small in order to get the most out of their latest investment.</p>
<p>What isn't clear is if Wittman fully commits to small-ball. His offense has long been too traditional and with too much structure. Granted, he's never had the personnel to do much else, but giving him the full benefit of the doubt would be selling this team short. They hatched ways to accentuate John Wall's passing ability over the top of defenses by dragging out bigs to the perimeter in order to free up shooters into the corners, but it never really extended beyond that.</p>
<p>One reason for it is Wittman's refusal to go small. This team has taken on Wittman's defense-first mentality, and he wasn't going to sacrifice it for the good of the offense. Whether it was the right decision or not in the long run is up for debate, but now, they have an aging Nene on his last legs to tend to in the next two years.</p>
<p>Big-picture, though, this is still is almost a <a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2014/7/13/5894855/paul-pierce-signing-wizards-impact">perfect fit between Pierce and the Wizards</a>. There's some concerns over how he operates away from the ball in Washington's corner-centric offense -- Pierce has hardly done any damage from the corners in his career, and prefers off-the-dribble threes to catch-and-shoots. But that's also, in a way, what makes this signing so great. Some variance never hurts, and Washington can definitely use his shotmaking ability in crunch time.</p>
<p>It's all up to Randy Wittman to put the pieces together, and doing so is no easy task.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2014/7/13/5895045/paul-pierce-signed-wizards-randy-wittmanUmair Khan2014-07-13T01:57:21-04:002014-07-13T01:57:21-04:00Signing Pierce accomplishes many goals at once
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<p>The Wizards stunned the basketball world by getting Paul Pierce, and it was a great move because it serves multiple purposes.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a>' front office likes to pride itself on making moves that nobody sees coming. That doesn't always hold true -- the team's interest in <span>Jan Vesely</span> in 2011 could not have been more easily telegraphed -- but goddamn it certainly does in this case. I'm still stunned that Ernie Grunfeld and company landed <span>Paul Pierce</span> after losing <span>Trevor Ariza</span> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a>.</p>
<p>There's a lot to think about here, so let's walk through it.</p>
<h4><b>A validation of relevancy</b></h4>
<p>The Wizards so badly wanted to make it to the playoffs last year to the point where many (including I) understandably worried about whether they had the wrong priorities. The Wizards' thought process, though, was they had to be good before becoming great. The only way they'd ever have a chance to sign free agents was if they were perceived as a team on the rise.</p>
<p>Lo and behold, they made the second round, saw their two young guards break out and are indeed perceived as a team on the rise. Note how <a href="http://nypost.com/2014/03/15/nets-blow-lead-fall-to-wizards/">Pierce himself</a> talked about the Wizards last March, even before the playoff run.</p>
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<p>"They're good," Paul Pierce said of the Wizards after the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Nets</a> failed to make a field goal over the final 6:22 and allowed Washington to close the game on a 14-3 run. "They're coming into their own. They're growing up right before our eyes.</p>
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<p>"You've seen their struggles over the years, and <span>John Wall</span> has matured as a player, obviously, becoming an All-Star this year and taking on more responsibilities and becoming a leader for this ball club. That's what the Washington Wizards have been waiting on, and you're seeing it."</p>
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<p>Of course, it'll take more to be a DESTINATION than seeing a former great at the end of his career sign on, but it's still a major statement. Pierce <a href="https://twitter.com/daldridgetnt/status/488178738795139072">wanted the Clippers</a> and would have settled for the Nets, but he could have gone anywhere. That he chose the Wizards says a whole lot about how the team is perceived.</p>
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<p><i>Jim McIsaac/Getty Images </i>
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<h4><b>The on-court fit is good, but not perfect</b></h4>
<p>First, the obvious: Pierce had a lot left last year. You never know when older players completely lose it, but Pierce now takes great care of his body and knows how to optimize whatever gifts he still has left. He should still have a lot left next season.</p>
<p>He's no longer a primary option offensively, but he doesn't have to be with John Wall and <span>Bradley Beal</span> initiating so many sets from the perimeter and Nene still being Nene in the post. Imagine a scenario with Wall and <span>Marcin Gortat</span> running a pick and roll with Beal and Pierce spotting up in the corners. That's deadly. And Pierce is an adept spot-up player that no longer needs the ball in his hands to initiate plays. That was a big part of his evolution over the past few years.</p>
<p>Pierce's clutch play is also a huuuuge reason for this signing. You don't need me to tell you how painstakingly awful the Wizards' crunch-time offense was at times last year. You also don't need me to tell you how many times Pierce has come up big in huge situations throughout his career. A 1-3 or 1-4 pick and roll with Wall and Pierce immediately becomes the Wizards' bread and butter set play late in games. Both players can take advantage of a sliver of daylight to get what they want.</p>
<p>I'm also confident that Pierce can run with Wall, even though he's not as athletic as Ariza. Trailing threes is a Pierce specialty, and you know Wall will set him up for those.</p>
<p>There are some concerns defensively. The Wizards will definitely miss Ariza's ability to switch onto any sort of primary option, which became more valuable as Marcin Gortat slowly picked up the system. Pierce expends great effort on that end, but he's lost quickness and can't check the top wing options as well as before. It's unclear who the Wizards will use for that role going forward. No longer does <span>Randy Wittman</span> have the luxury of using Ariza on anyone.</p>
<p>It'll also be interesting to see where Pierce plays. One big reason for his strong season in Brooklyn was that he played so much at power forward, allowing him to take advantage of slower defenders. When he played at the 3, he wasn't quite as effective. Wittman would be smart to use Pierce at the 4 as much as he can, but it also goes against his ethos and it will force <span>Otto Porter</span> into action. How will Wittman find that kind of time? (One obvious answer: when Nene is injured).</p>
<p>Obviously, you know about the leadership angle too. Pierce certainly provides an excellent example for Wall, Beal and Porter, and that's a huge element of this signing.</p>
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<p><em>Ned Dishman/Getty Images</em></p>
<h4><b>Flexibility for the future</b></h4>
<p>The other key element to this: Pierce's deal expires right before the summer of 2016, when <span>Kevin Durant</span> (and maybe <span>LeBron James</span>) is a free agent. The Summer of Durant is a real consideration with the Wizards, especially now that James provided the path for returning home. It's obviously a longshot to snare him from Oklahoma City, but a longshot is better than no shot. The Wizards, like many other teams, are preparing for it.</p>
<p>In doing so, the Wizards needed to balance two factors: winning and flexibility. That's hard to do, but with this signing, they came closer to accomplishing these two goals. The Wizards currently have Wall ($17 million), Gortat ($12 million), Webster should he play enough games ($5.8 million) and Porter ($5.9 million) under contract. Beal's also due an extension that's surely going to be for the four-year max, whatever it is. That still should leave enough room for a max deal for Durant depending on how much the cap rises, though there are tons of other factors (future draft picks, other deals that'll be signed and minimum cap holds) that'll factor in.</p>
<p>Keeping Ariza at his price would have eaten too far into that number. Signing Pierce instead keeps it open, all while the Wizards continue to succeed on the court.</p>
<h4><b>There are still questions to answer</b></h4>
<p>Signing Pierce is great, but the roster is far from settled. The frontcourt is still thin and the one key mechanism to improve it is now being used on someone else. The Wizards plan to counter by keeping <span>Trevor Booker</span> using his Bird Rights, a league source confirmed to Bullets Forever. We know <span>Drew Gooden</span> should be back for the veteran's minimum, and <span>Garrett Temple</span> could return too. <span>Kevin Seraphin</span>, as of now, is an option as well,</p>
<p>After that, the Wizards can only use the minimum salary and two small trade exceptions ($2.016 million and $1.254 million) to add talent from elsewhere. <span>Emeka Okafor</span> is an obvious name to chase, but the Wizards can only sign him for the minimum. Otherwise, Booker, assuming he returns, will need to be the third big man again, not counting Pierce of course. The Wizards might be thin again up front in the event of an injury.</p>
<p>The other operative question: what does this mean for Porter? This is certainly a better scenario for him than if the Wizards kept Ariza. Pierce can't play huge minutes at this stage of his career, is on a short-term contract, can teach Otto some tricks of the trade and slide to power forward in lineups featuring both players. That said, with Webster injured, Porter still needs to take a major step forward to secure minutes on the wing. (So does Glen Rice Jr., for that matter).</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>All in all, though, this is a low-risk, high-reward move that not only improves the team, but also improves its flexibility. Pierce may break down this year, but it's hard for me to think of another move that could have accomplished both goals. Kudos to Wizards management.</p>
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<p>Obama , J Wall here I come</p>
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) <a href="https://twitter.com/paulpierce34/statuses/488188121255649280">July 13, 2014</a>
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https://www.bulletsforever.com/2014/7/13/5894855/paul-pierce-signing-wizards-impactMike Prada2014-07-13T00:09:51-04:002014-07-13T00:09:51-04:00WIZARDS SIGN PAUL PIERCE
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<p>Nope, didn't take long for the Wizards to overcome the loss of Trevor Ariza. Instead, they will sign Paul Pierce to a two-year deal for the mid-level exception.</p> <p>OH MY GOD. Less than seven hours after losing Trevor Ariza, the Wizards have rebounded in a totally unexpected way, signing PAUL PIERCE (all caps necessary) to a two-year deal at the mid-level exception, with a player option after Year 2. PAUL PIERCE</p>
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<p>ESPN has learned that Pierce will sign a two-year deal with the Wizards at the mid-level exception with a player option entering Year 2</p>
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/statuses/488170213196988416">July 13, 2014</a>
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<p>Can confirm Paul Pierce deal with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wizards?src=hash">#wizards</a>. Hearing his former BOS teammate Sam Cassell played role in helping to convince The Truth to come</p>
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrMichaelLee/statuses/488172830282883072">July 13, 2014</a>
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<p>I mean ... wow. I got the sense that the Wizards weren't nearly as torn up about losing Ariza as many would have expected, but this is stunning. Rumors suggested Luol Deng, but this is a complete shocker.</p>
<p>And before you overanalyze: it's also a GREAT move. Pierce still has plenty of game left, putting up a 16.8 PER and a scorching 59.5 percent true shooting percentage in 28 minutes a game for the Nets. It helped that he played a lot of power forward in small lineups, but he should still be able to transition back to the 3 if needed. He's not nearly the player he once was, of course, but he's still really effective in a limited role and will be able to do that with John Wall and Bradley Beal around. Better yet, it saves room for the summer of 2016 rather than giving away a lot of that flexibility to Ariza.</p>
<p>There are definitely some complications. Pierce isn't the defender Ariza is and the Wizards now lack one key tool to upgrade their big man rotation. But seriously, PAUL PIERCE CHOSE THE WIZARDS IN FREE AGENCY. PAUL PIERCE.</p>
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<p>Welcome the truth <a href="https://twitter.com/paulpierce34">@paulpierce34</a> to Dc...<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wizkids?src=hash">#wizkids</a> !!</p>
— John Wall (@John_Wall) <a href="https://twitter.com/John_Wall/statuses/488176312910381056">July 13, 2014</a>
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<p>Its going to be an honor to play with such an amazing player.</p>
— Marcin Gortat (@MGortat) <a href="https://twitter.com/MGortat/statuses/488173369427107840">July 13, 2014</a>
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<p>Ohbytheway, remember when Pierce<a href="http://nypost.com/2014/03/15/nets-blow-lead-fall-to-wizards/"> said this about the Wizards in March</a>?</p>
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<p>"They're good," Paul Pierce said of the Wizards after the Nets failed to make a field goal over the final 6:22 and allowed Washington to close the game on a 14-3 run. "They're coming into their own. They're growing up right before our eyes.</p>
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<p>"You've seen their struggles over the years, and John Wall has matured as a player, obviously, becoming an All-Star this year and taking on more responsibilities and becoming a leader for this ball club. That's what the Washington Wizards have been waiting on, and you're seeing it."</p>
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https://www.bulletsforever.com/2014/7/13/5894777/paul-pierce-signs-wizards-nets-nba-2014Mike Prada