Los Angeles Clippers 2016-17 report cards: Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce ended his storied 19-year career with the Los Angeles Clippers, occasionally showing signs of his once-dominant self despite limited playing time.
The Los Angeles Clippers signed Paul Pierce last season to add some much-needed depth to their small forward rotation. Pierce was long past his All-NBA days, but Doc Rivers and the Clippers hoped that he could hold on to enough of his bag of tricks to be an effective rotation piece.
Unfortunately for Los Angeles, Pierce showed his age more often than he showed his former glory. Pierce always got by more on his skill than his athleticism. While that allowed him to stay in the league for 19 years, it also made him vulnerable on defense as he lost a step or two that he could not afford to lose.
Pierce will, quite fairly, be remembered far more for his 15 years in Boston than for his three-team journey in his last four seasons. Nonetheless, he spent his last two full seasons as a Clipper. Although he may have fallen somewhat short of expectations, the Truth brought veteran leadership and valuable experience that the Clippers will undoubtedly miss next season.
Offense
Paul Pierce played a significant role in his first season with the Clippers. While he struggled with his shot (to the tune of a 48.9 percent True Shooting mark), he nonetheless started 38 of his 68 games in 2015-16.
Pierce saw a significant reduction in his role during the 2016-17 season. He played only 277 minutes during the regular season. Although he was far more efficient this season with a 53.5 True Shooting percentage, it became clear before he announced his retirement that his storied career was coming to a close.
Despite his limited playing time, Pierce still managed to put together some vintage moments this year as he finished his career. None of those moments were as heartwarming as his final 20 seconds in Boston:
Paul Pierce played a far bigger role in the playoffs than during the regular season. He put together a bit of a throwback performance on the offensive end, with a 56.9 percent True Shooting mark buoyed by 40 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
However, he — like the rest of the Clippers — was unable to overcome the absence of Blake Griffin. Pierce’s offense will not be sorely missed next year, but his solid shooting in the playoffs was a nice send-off for his storied career.
Grade: C
Defense
Once upon a time, Paul Pierce defended LeBron James as well as anyone in the league. Pierce was never the quickest player on the floor, but he leveraged his strength and defensive IQ to capably rein in anyone who played across from him.
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Sadly, Pierce was never able to play at anything close to that well on defense for the Los Angeles Clippers. He knew where to be on defense. However, he did not have the foot speed to get to his spots in time to challenge opponents. Doc Rivers adjusted by giving Pierce more minutes as a stretch-4. Paul
Pierce played a higher percentage of his minutes at power forward as a Clipper than in any of his previous 17 seasons. This past season was the only one of his career in which he spent more time at power forward than at small forward.
Paul Pierce would occasionally have throwback moments on offense. He would remind everyone why he was a 10-time All-Star and a Finals MVP. While those moments were few and far between, they did pop up on occasion.
His defensive play was a different story. Pierce may have been able to stick around with rare moments of brilliance on offense. However, his inability to play defense ultimately knocked him out of the Clippers’ rotation.
Grade: D
Overall
Although Paul Pierce was never a key contributor for the Clippers, he provided more value than could have been reasonably expected from a 38-year-old on a two-year contract. Despite his defensive struggles and his inefficient shooting, he had his moments on offense. Those moments were certainly rare, but they were not absent. His play in the 2017 NBA Playoffs also far exceeded expectations despite his defensive woes.
Paul Pierce was ultimately a net negative for the Clippers. His inefficiency in the 2015-16 season hurt the Clippers every time he saw the floor. On the other end of the floor, he was one of the worst defenders in the league.
That being said, Paul Pierce was a living legend long before he returned home to Los Angeles. His performance as a Clipper will not hurt his legacy. Indeed, sticking around for 19 seasons will probably overcome any trepidations about his poor play in his twilight years.
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Paul Pierce may not be a Clippers legend, but he is certainly an NBA legend. His two years in Los Angeles were nowhere near his best. However, the rest of the Clippers roster was happy to have him around. Los Angeles, and the league as a whole, will miss the Truth in the years to come.