Let’s make a deal: Pierce says trade pick
By Steve Bulpett
Boston Herald Sports Reporter
Monday, February 5, 2007 - Updated: 06:42 AM EST

In the onrushing tide of the Celtics [team stats]’ hope for a winning ticket in the NBA draft lottery, Paul Pierce [stats] is a lonely swimmer fighting the undertow. While Greenhearts take each loss as a step toward Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, the captain is advocating a detour from Secaucus.

Pierce would rather the Celtics deal than draft.

"I know how people are thinking with us maybe getting a high pick and all that, but I really don’t look at it like that,” said Pierce. “I don’t put my faith in the draft. I don’t count on landing the No. 1 or No. 2 pick, which everybody is hoping for. It’s hit or miss either way, whether you make trades or whether you draft. Everything is a gamble.

“My thing is to go out there and play every night and for guys to develop and get better. I want the guys we already have to get better. Everything else is a gamble, and if you really want to get better, I think you have to do that through trades and through veterans.

“I’ve never seen a team grow just from draft picks. If you look at all the guys we have, they’re all first, second, third and fourth-year guys. You’re not going to be able to financially keep everybody.”

But wouldn’t a defensive force like Oden allow the Celtics to take a quick and quantum leap forward?

“It sounds good,” Pierce said. “It sounds really good. In a perfect world, hey, that would be great, but as we all know, it’s not a perfect world. You can’t bank on that with the lottery. The chips got to fall where they may, brother.”

Pierce is well aware that even at full strength this season the Celts were no threat to play into late May and June. What he’d like to see is the acquisition of a major piece or two with experience, knowing it will cost guys already here.

“I just think it’s difficult times right now, but I think we have the chips to where we can make a major move maybe this summer,” Pierce said. “It’s probably not best with the team in the situation that it’s in right now to do something before the trade deadline, but in the summer I think we’ve got to sit back - the owners and Danny (Ainge) - and really look at this roster and see what they can do to improve it. And we’re going to have to. We’re going to have to.”

During his injury-induced absence, Pierce has seen some of his young mates grow.

“You definitely see Al (Jefferson) starting to come into his own,” he said. “I mean, this guy’s going out and getting double-doubles. Everybody knows how hard that is to do over the course of a season. It looks like he’s in that direction to where he’s solidifying himself as an NBA player. TA (Tony Allen) was starting to do that. Delonte West I think is doing that.

“I think we’re starting to see our core guys. Once we establish that, you’ve got to see what’s out there to help this ballclub. I was starting to see what this team was capable of before I got hurt. We won five in a row. I thought we were starting to peak and to play a lot better. Guys were playing well together. It’s unfortunate we got injured, but you started to see the potential then.”

Pierce would rather not wait any longer for that potential, however.

“Those guys who could be in the draft look great, but I just think making a deal might be more realistic for us,” he said. “If you just keep waiting on draft picks, that takes a long time.”

Posted by djsunyc:

pierce signed an extension to stay with them. he didn't have to but he did. these players feel like they're entitled to something but the real heart of the matter is that although it's unfortunate management can't surround these great players with the help they need, they still re-upped with each of these organizations. and pierce did it this past summer with all these young players already here.