Playoff Roundtable: Atlanta Hawks-Washington Wizards Preview
By Adam McGee
Apr 26, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce (34) gestures to the crowd from the bench against the Toronto Raptors in the third quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 125-94, and won the series 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Old Hawks foe Paul Pierce has had a strong start to the post-season, can he hurt Atlanta??
AMcG: Absolutely, Pierce is exactly the type of player that many seem the feel the Hawks are missing from their Playoff run, and if they don’t keep a close watch on him he can cause real damage.
VM: Pierce is who he is. Yes he can hurt Atlanta if they leave him open. At this stage in his career, his threat is taking and making that one big shot in a tie game in the 4th quarter. As annoying as he is, Pierce is not dropping 30. But he does makes uncontested shots so the challenge is not to get sucked inside with the big guys and leave him open.
JA: Again, nothing against Pierce, but the Raptors made Wizards look better than they are. Are you telling me Paul Pierce can be just as great against sixth best defense in the league? Against DeMarre Carroll on the wing? I don’t buy it. He will be effective but not series-stealing.
MMcE: Paul Pierce can really hurt the Hawks if they aren’t careful. He played a key role in the Wizards sweep of the Raptors, and was always there to take–and make–the biggest shots of the game. Carroll and Millsap will have to play excellent defense on him during this series to defeat the Wizards.
MK: Paul Pierce has seen action in 152 total playoff games over the course of his illustrious career. “The Truth” was the 2008 finals MVP, helping Boston capture the league title during that season. At 37 years of age he is longer always the “go-to” guy. But during clutch moments, he can definitely still that guy.
The Raptors aren’t a very good defensive team, housing no player with the defensive prowess of someone like DeMarre Carroll. Pierce played 28 minutes per game against Toronto, so the Hawks definitely need to keep in mind what he’s capable of. With Wall and Beal in the backcourt, it can be easy to forget about the perennial hall of famer Paul Pierce. Carroll and Korver will most likely be the ones handling the defensive responsibilities here.
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