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"Jake Voskhul has lasted a long time in the NBA with only marginal talent. But his one gift is fouling." |
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Some time after the Celtics won their 17th title, Paul Pierce was interviewed by a Spanish reporter who asked him if he thought Kobe Bryant was the best player in the world. Pierce's response set the Internet ablaze: "I don’t think Kobe is the best player. I'm the best player. There's a line that separates having confidence and being conceited. I don't cross that line but I have a lot of confidence in myself." My initial reaction was like most people's: "Is this dude for real?" Pierce is a damn good player but he must be pretty delusional if he thinks he's better than Kobe. Now that I've had time to think about it, I completely understand where Pierce is coming from and I actually kind of respect him for having the balls to say how he feels. The way I see it, it doesn't matter if he really is the best player in the world because that's a subjective judgment, anyway. But for Pierce to perform at his high level, he has to believe that he's the best every time he goes out on that court. If he perceives himself that way, then he thinks he can score on anyone, guard anyone, and beat every team he faces. I wouldn't expect a player at his level to feel any other way. Here's why I relate to Pierce's mentality. I started this blog six years ago because I saw what the so-called "professionals" were putting out there in terms of Raptors commentary and analysis and I was convinced I could do it better and in a more entertaining fashion. I believed then and I believe now that I'm the best Raptors blogger around — if I didn't believe that, I wouldn't bother doing this. It doesn't matter whether or not I have the right to feel that way and it doesn't matter if anyone agrees with me. What matters is that it's that same self-confidence that led me to start this blog in 2002 and then to come back again in 2008. Is it ridiculous that I'm comparing myself to Paul Pierce? Absolutely, but not much more ridiculous than Paul Pierce believing he's the best basketball player in the world. In all fairness, Pierce is the reigning NBA Finals MVP on the defending champions, so you have to admit he's got the credentials to back up his swagger. I think I've been guilty of under-appreciating Pierce over the years. He's never been as flashy as Kobe or Vince, but he's been one of the best shooting guards in the league for at least the past eight seasons, and that deserves more respect than I've given him. So I'll be watching Pierce a little more closely this season to see if his high self-regard can combine with the competitive drive to avoid a post-championship letdown in '08-09. "The Truth" is, you shouldn't count him out — Paul would be the first to tell you so. |
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