Celtics

[BarryLyndon]

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what do you guys think about trading pierce to the bulls for deng + ny knicks draft pick?

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Response from John Paxson:

*click*

Deng will be as good as Pierce by next year, and better by the year after.

People forget how old Deng is. He's barely older than Gerald Green and is already the best player on a 14-10 team.

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I think that, conversely, people forget just how good Paul Pierce is because his team is ass. He's only 29 and, based on how he plays, he can be putting up around 24ppg for the next 4 or 5 years. As Kenny Smith said, Paul Pierce is a "scientist" when it comes to scoring - he doesn't need to bang his body up day in and day out to get his 25.

Then, imagine if you had Paul Pierce with a capable poing guard, a 2 guard who cuts and slashes, and a more than competent front court? The Bulls would immediately become the favorite to win the East (they're already close).

Deng could be as good as Pierce, but there are no guarantees, and he will never be THAT MUCH better than Pierce. There's no guarantee that he doesn't stop at 20ppg.

The draft pick is tricky, as this year's draft is going to be really good. The Knicks may find themselves at the 8 or 9 spot again, which could mean anything. I doubt the Knicks are gonna be in the top 3, they have enough weapons to win 29 to 32 this year.

So, it's close. Barring a serious injury problem (or reasonable percentage of one), I say that Pierce can get you to the champsionship level. I'm not so sure about Deng, be it now or 2 years from now.