Washington Wizards Need Paul Pierce To Stick Around For 1 More Year
By Josh Wilson
Go-To Shooter
Often throughout the year, the final shot responsibility for close games was put onto Pierce. His accurate shooting from mid- and long range made him an obvious choice.
As the playoffs rolled around, and the Wizards were involved in very close games, Pierce was, again, the option to go to for those final shots.
As Game 3 against the Raptors was at risk of going to overtime, Paul Pierce sunk a long two-pointer to lock up the win for Washington.
Things didn’t always go perfectly, though. Twice against the Hawks Pierce was trusted with the final shot, and one time missed, and another time, sunk the shot, but did not get it off in time, despite it being an incredible attempt. This ended the Wizards season.
Even though trusting Pierce with these final shots didn’t end the way they would have liked 100 percent of the time, Pierce was still constantly the player with the ball in the final 10 seconds. This is where fans feel comfortable, despite having players like Wall and Beal who are also great shooters.
There’s a reason Pierce’s nickname is “The Truth,” and without him around to take the last shot, who would? Of course, the Wizards would find someone to take the shot, but the sense of security with having Pierce around is something that I would like to see continue for at least one more year.
Next: Veteran Presence