Rivers: Pierce Should Be Rejuvenated With Nets

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Updated: August 4, 2013

Some people around the NBA seem to think that Paul Pierce is still somber from his exit from the Boston Celtics and that it might affect his game this coming season.  The demeanor he showed at the press conference led to these reports.

The man who coached him for the last nine years, Doc Rivers,  feels different about Pierce and let it be known that Pierce has a lot left in the tank and will be rejuvenated by the trade to Brooklyn.

Rivers was being honored with a Sports Pioneer award at the National Association of Black Journalists convention when he spoke of his old team and player.

He mentioned that having Kevin Garnett and Lawrence Frank in Brooklyn will allow Pierce to feel more comfortable and speed up the process of gelling with his new team.

One line that Rivers was quoted as saying stuck with me and should stick with all Nets fans this coming year.

[quote_box]Rivers: “Listen, anything comes together when a lot of people want it to come together, and they have a lot of guys that want it to come together”[/quote_box]

Will Brooklyn be able to mesh early and make a legitimate run at the title with Pierce being a leader and stable force that the Nets lacked last year?

We shall see come October.

[quote_simple] NEWSDAY

“I think in some ways, it may give him more life,” Rivers said Friday after being honored with a Sports Pioneer award at the National Association of Black Journalists convention. “But I just think it’s tough for him personally. Like he said in the press conference, he wanted to stay and wasn’t allowed to and that’s tough for him.”

“If they’re going to rebuild, then they needed draft picks and they got them,” Rivers said. Celtics - Doc Rivers“Brooklyn is trying to win it. They got that, so it’s a win-win for both teams. The tough part of that trade was Paul. That’s tough because he was a Celtic. Kevin was kind of from Minnesota and the other guy, Jason, had been there one year. But Paul, that was a tough one.”

“I think it will come together,” Rivers said. “Listen, anything comes together when a lot of people want it to come together, and they have a lot of guys that want it to come together. Paul, Jason and Kevin want to win another title and everyone else wants to win their first. So, if they all want to do that, then it all will work out.”

I think Lawrence will be great for Jason for a lot of reasons,” Rivers said. “One, that he’s been a head coach. Two, he coached Jason. So, he knows him on a personal level. And then three, he was with me in Boston and he’s coached Paul and Kevin. So, he knows them. I think all that will be good. It will be a good fit for them.”[/quote_simple]

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