The Washington Wizards made a bold decision last offseason. After making the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and advancing past the first round for the first time since 2005, they let elite 3-and-D wing Trevor Ariza go. In came Paul Pierce, who decided to sign a two-year contract that would keep Washington in the running to sign D.C. native Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016.
This is why the Wizards brought Paul Pierce to Washington
The signing of Paul Pierce is paying off for the Wizards in the postseason.
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Things didn't work out as planned. Pierce was a good three-point shooter, but he was not as adept at making himself available on the corners as Ariza. He also was older and less durable, which forced coach Randy Wittman to rely on an underwhelming wing rotation more often that he would have had to with Ariza around. Instead of taking a big leap as John Wall became a legitimate superstar, the Wizards won only two more games than the past year and -- after a terrible stretch following the New Year -- finished fifth in the East.
Just as fans and analysts alike were not only expecting but almost hoping for a short run that would force the franchise to make changes, the Wizards started the playoffs with two road wins against the Toronto Raptors before securing Game 3 at home. The key to those victories? The play of Paul Pierce.
Pierce’s floor-spacing makes the Wizards’ offense hum
Wittman had been reluctant to slide Pierce up to power forward during the regular season despite every indication suggesting it'd be a good idea. He dusted off the tactic in the playoffs to great effect. The second-most used lineup behind only the starting unit features Otto Porter, Pierce and Marcin Gortat as its frontcourt. That combination, along with Wall and Bradley Beal, has outscored the Raptors by 22 points in just 30 minutes together. The same combination with Nene in Gortat's place has outscored Toronto by nine points in just nine minutes. To say good things happen when Pierce plays as the second big would be an understatement.
While they have an advantage matching up with units featuring two traditional big men, the Raptors can’t handle Pierce. They don’t have a power forward who can punish him consistently on the low block or a wing who can check him while providing the defense and rebounding needed to have success going small. So if they put a big on him, that opens up things for Wall to drive or kill teams with the pick-and-roll. Here’s an example from Game 3.
Amir Johnson can't leave Pierce alone at the top of the arc to help, and the result is an easy dunk for Gortat.
Whenever they can, the Raptors elect to have a big man on Porter and not on Pierce. The problem is Porter can hit outside shots if left open. He’s not as big a threat as Pierce is but he can’t be left alone.
There’s no place to hide. If the spread pick-and-roll with Gortat doesn’t kill you, the pick-and-pop with a perimeter guy will either force a switch or result in an open three.
All the benefits of smallball with none of the pitfalls
The benefits or playing four-out are well known. Any team that has three wings with three-point range can do it. The problems with the tactic are two-fold: it often hurts the defensive rebounding and if the initial action doesn't yield a good shot, the offense becomes predictable. It takes a a Boris Diaw or a Draymond Green to make it work, players who can defend a couple of positions and keep the offense moving if they don't get an open look. Pierce fits that mold perfectly.
After spending most of last season playing power forward in Brooklyn, he understands the position. He’s not a great rebounder, but he will put a body on his man. Since the Wizards are such a great defensive rebounding team, that’s enough for them to not only survive but thrive on the boards in those small lineups, getting better numbers than their averages on both offensive and defensive rebound percentage.
As for creating when plays break down, Pierce is a master. His old man game makes him hard to guard against a set defense. When he catches the ball against scrambling opponents, he’s even harder to stop. He can shoot, drive or pass. Watch this play from Game 3:
The closeout is good and for a lot of shooters, that would mean resetting the play or taking a prayer mid-range jumper as the clock winds down. Pierce simply drives to the basket using the body control that allowed him to be a featured scorer in his prime.
The veteran the Wizards needed
Before the playoffs, Pierce called out Wall, Beal and Porter in the media. He absorbed the scorn of Toronto fans -- who hate him since he was instrumental in eliminating the Raptors last season as a Net -- by mocking a newspaper cover on Instagram. He yelled that he doesn’t want to go through customs anymore, suggesting the Wizards will sweep the series. And he hits big shots like this one:
Pierce might not be a star anymore, but he carries himself like one and comes through when he’s needed. His confidence inspires others. A veteran who has been there and can handle the pressure is exactly what a young team like the Wizards needs. Signing The Truth has paid off in spades for Washington.
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