Where Does Paul Pierce Rank Among The Greatest SFs?

[JohnFreeman]

Durant needs at least 5 years under his belt to be consider to be on that list.

Exactly, thank you. How can anyone put Durant over Pierce with a FMVP and Chip?

[salwan]

top 15 for sho

[Olacinco]

Well he is better player now, than Lebron is right now is in his prime ...

So how can he not be top 5???

[Real Men Wear Green]

Do people even use All-Star appearances anymore when comparing players?

Well, I just did and I doubt I'm the only one.

I think All-NBA, All-Defense teams are a better indicator of ranking a player among his peers.

All-NBA is more relevant but All-D definitely is not. No one thinks Bruce Bowen had a better career than P.

It seems to me Nique was regarded as a Top 3 SF throughout his era while Pierce was not.

I am not arguing that Pierce is over Wilkins. But I will strongly dispute the idea that Pierce has not been an elite 3 for most of his career.

[MMM]

Do people even use All-Star appearances anymore when comparing players? I think All-NBA, All-Defense teams are a better indicator of ranking a player among his peers. It seems to me Nique was regarded as a Top 3 SF throughout his era while Pierce was not.

Pierce was the 2nd best SF for most of his era only behind Bron. Durant passed him after a few years in though.

[kNIOKAS]

I'd put him above Nique, because Nique never rang or even came close to one & his numbers are overrated due to the pace of his era. Pierce had a better all-around game & his accolades speak for themselves.

Per game:
21.3/5.9/3.8 stl 1.4, blk: 0.6, to: 2.9, FGA 15.6, FG% .447, FTA: 7.1 FT%: .807
24.8/6.7/2.5 stl 1.3, blk: 0.6, to: 2.5, FGA 20.1, FG% .461, FTA: 6.9, FT% .811

I would think accolades would put Pierce on top, but numbers favour Wilkens a little bit.

[JohnFreeman]

Pierce getting disrespected

[hitmanyr2k]

Pierce was the 2nd best SF for most of his era only behind Bron. Durant passed him after a few years in though.

If he truly were the 2nd best SF behind Lebron then you figure he'd be at least All-NBA second or third team during those seasons. When it comes to accolades Pierce fell off the map after '03 and didn't resurface until '08 when Ray Allen and KG came to the team and even then it was only a third team selection. Durant already has FOUR All-NBA first team selections (something Pierce couldn't accomplish one time in his career) and KD's career is only in its 7th season. And you know that fifth All-NBA first team is coming this year.

[Real Men Wear Green]

If he truly were the 2nd best SF behind Lebron then you figure he'd be at least All-NBA second or third team during those seasons.

All-NBA spots go to "forwards," not just small forwards. Pierce was thus competing with Tim Duncan, KG, Nowitzki, Webber, Gasol and some other good PFs I've probably forgotten.

[SHAQisGOAT]

Top10

Bird
Lebron
Erving
Hondo
Baylor
Barry
Pippen
Worthy
Nique
Pierce

[hitmanyr2k]

All-NBA spots go to "forwards," not just small forwards. Pierce was thus competing with Tim Duncan, KG, Nowitzki, Webber, Gasol and some other good PFs I've probably forgotten.

As was Peja Stojakovic, Ron Artest and Shawn Marion at the time but they were were making All-NBA teams while Pierce wasn't.

[Real Men Wear Green]

As was Peja Stojakovic, Ron Artest and Shawn Marion at the time but they were were making All-NBA teams while Pierce wasn't.

All guys that made less total teams than Pierce and who Pierce could be argued to be better than the year they made it over him. The Celtics had some down years during Pierce's prime and losing hurts. But Artest/Marion could never carry an offense and Stojakovic was never the best player on his team. They got the bump because their teams were winning, teams that had other guys as their franchise players.

[WillC]

Ignoring Kevin Durant (who's career is still too short, but will surely finish his career high on this list)...

1 - Larry Bird
2 - LeBron James
3 - Elgin Baylor
4 - Julius Erving
5 - John Havlicek
6 - Rick Barry
7 - Scottie Pippen
8 - Dominique Wilkins

I'd take all of them over Pierce. But then it gets tricky. Pierce could make a claim ahead of any of the following:

Billy Cunningham
Paul Arizin
James Worthy
Alex English
Bernard King
Adrian Dantley
Grant Hill
Chris Mullin
Carmelo Anthony

So I'd have Pierce anywhere from 9th to about 12th on my all-time SF list.

[hitmanyr2k]

All guys that made less total teams than Pierce and who Pierce could be argued to be better than the year they made it over him. The Celtics had some down years during Pierce's prime and losing hurts. But Artest/Marion could never carry an offense and Stojakovic was never the best player on his team. They got the bump because their teams were winning, teams that had other guys as their franchise players.

But they still made it even with the competition you were stating as the reason why Pierce wasn't making those teams back then. If Pierce's play was worthy he should have been on that list over those guys no question about it.

Peja actually was the best player on his team in 2003-04 when Webber went down early in the season.

[Real Men Wear Green]

But they still made it even with the competition you were stating as the reason why Pierce wasn't making those teams back then. If Pierce's play was worthy he should have been on that list over those guys no question about it.

So you're saying that inferior players never get picked over superior players due to winning? That's just wrong.

Peja actually was the best player on his team in 2003-04 when Webber went down.

True, but the supporting cast was far better than what Pierce was working with that season.