Washington Wizards: Is Paul Pierce’s Heart Really In D.C.?

New Washington Wizard Paul Pierce created a bit of a stir over the weekend when he wore a Boston Celtics jacket during Derek Jeter’s farewell ceremony at Fenway Park.

A current NBA player making a public appearance in the uniform of another team is obviously highly irregular.  But in this context Pierce was representing a former Celtic, just as retired local athletes Bobby Orr and Troy Brown were on hand to honor Jeter in the capacity of a former Boston Bruin and New England Patriot.

Celtics faithful were quick to jump to the conclusion that their longtime captain will bleed green for life:

Is this something the Wizards and their fans should be the least bit concerned about?  The quick answer is “no,” but it’s not actually that simple.

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Pierce played the first 15 years of his career in Boston.  In the summer of 2013 when it was clear the Celtics were looking to rebuild, Pierce and teammate

accepted a trade to the Brooklyn Nets.  The duo hoped to contend for another title together in Brooklyn, but things didn’t work out as planned.

At season’s end Pierce became a free agent for the very first time since being drafted by Boston back in 1998.

It came as a shock to just about everyone when Pierce signed with Washington in July.  But in reality there was a very good reason for it–his former teammate Sam Cassell.  A Wizards assistant coach, Cassell was the person who persuaded Pierce to come to D.C., writes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post.  Via Castillo, Pierce said:

"Sam is a guy that values friendships and is a guy I trust. I don’t know who [else] I would have really talked to that really could have convinced me to come, so it’s a good likelihood that I probably wouldn’t have. The timing worked out. … He did a good job of convincing me, even though he left me when I got here."

Shortly after Pierce joined the Wizards Cassell took a job with the L.A. Clippers under former Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

Fifteen months ago Pierce moved on from what had been his home for the previous 15 years.  This past summer he left his longtime friend Kevin Garnett behind in Brooklyn.  In Washington he’s in a new and unfamiliar place, with another friend Cassell now gone as well.

J. Michael of CSN described Pierce’s arrival in D.C. by saying:

"“Pierce barely knew anyone here. He thought Beal, who just turned 21, was about 25 or 26.”"

However, by all accounts Pierce has been a great Wizard so far.  From CBS Sports James Herbert, teammate Marcin Gortat raved about what Pierce has done to this point:

"He’s a leader. I’ve been here for a week now and I work with him every day. I play with him every day. It’s ridiculous how people follow his lead. He shows up at the gym two hours before practice. Even young guys can’t beat him. That shows a lot. Everybody’s running, he’s not going to sit on the bench. We’re all going to run together. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem with him."

An Associated Press article by Joseph White talks about how Pierce and John Wall organized a team night out for dinner to watch Thursday Night Football last week, and at the end of the evening Pierce picked up the check.

In a radio interview with 106.7 The Fan during Wizards Media Day on Monday, the 16-year veteran talked about how excited he is to be in Washington, and particularly to be playing with the All-Star Wall.

Paul Pierce is saying and doing all the right things with his new ballclub.  But the future Hall-of-Famer will turn 37 before the season starts, and it’s hard not to wonder how pleased he truly is to likely finish his career as a Washington Wizard.