Pierce emerging as U.S.'s leader

Star swingman won't keep low profile for long

INDIANAPOLIS -- Dressed in jeans, a red windbreaker and a Braves cap perched sideways on his head, Celtics forward Paul Pierce could have been just another young man out on the town.

It was midnight Friday night, and Pierce was sitting at the bar in Jillian’s, a downtown dance club/video arcade, nursing a drink and watching TV. Pierce had just scored 26 points to lead his U.S. team to a 104-87 victory over Germany, but if he craved attention he wasn’t acting like it.

While U.S. teammates Baron Davis and Shawn Marion mingled elsewhere in the building, the 24-year-old All-Star sat alone uninterrupted for a full 10 minutes. Finally, a female fan recognized Pierce and asked him for an autograph, which he willingly signed. Within minutes, a small group had gathered around him.

Pierce might not be able to keep the low profile much longer. Already one of the NBA’s brightest young stars, he is turning this year’s FIBA World Championships into his own personal showcase.

Through the opening three games of the tournament, Pierce has been Team USA’s MVP. He scored 16 of his team-high 22 points in the first half to get the U.S. off to a good start in its opening-night victory Thursday over Algeria. Then he nearly single-handedly rescued his team Friday with a third-quarter scoring blitz against an upset-minded Germany. On Saturday, he added 19 points in Team USA’s 84-65 win over China.

"From the standpoint of pure skills, Paul is probably our most talented offensive player," U.S. head coach George Karl says.

Pierce’s ability to create his own shot has been crucial for the Americans. Unlike past U.S. squads, with an abundance of scorers, this year’s version is built more with a team concept in mind. Ben Wallace, Andre Miller, Antonio Davis and even Elton Brand play unselfishly and do the little things, but they usually don’t look first to put the ball in the basket.

As a result, the U.S. team’s half-court offense at times has looked sluggish. Take away 3-pointers and fast breaks, and it has scored about as easily as the Angolans. Pierce, along with Mavericks forward Michael Finley, often has had to bail out the offense by going one-on-one with the shot clock winding down.

"The international game doesn’t have the style that fits an isolation game," Karl says. "We have a lot of talented players, and it’s fun to coach them. You don’t know who your hot button is, but you know potentially you have several of them and you just have to wait and see who gets cooking."

Fortunately for Karl, Pierce emerged as a master chef at just the right time against the Germans. He scored 10 of his 12 points during a pivotal third-quarter run, including a 40-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer that lifted the U.S. to a 77-67 lead at the break. During the run Pierce showed off much of his arsenal, spinning to the basket for a layup, getting to the foul line, going coast-to-coast for another score and, finally, sinking the killer three after Marion had deflected Germany’s inbound pass with 2.5 seconds left.

After his shot beat the horn, Pierce celebrated by pumping his fists and puffing out his chest.

"I came out more aggressive in the second half, not settling for three-point shots and instead taking it to the basket," said Pierce, who had 15 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals in the quarter. "That’s my style –- being able to adjust during the game."

For Pierce, unlike many of his NBA peers, playing in the World Games truly seems to be an honor. Since being selected for the squad, he has been outspoken in his excitement about the chance to play for his country. He says he can remember watching the 1992 Dream Team as a teenager in Inglewood, Calif., and wondering what it would be like to play with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird .

Maybe that’s why he has so readily accepted the challenge of leading the U.S. team. After coming up short in his quest to reach the NBA Finals -- his Celtics team lost to the Nets in the Eastern Conference finals -- he seems determined to end his summer with a gold medal. "I learned a lot this past season," he said. "If I play each game like a playoff game, I think I’ll have a lot of success in my career."

Not to mention a lot more attention from the fans over at Jillian’s.

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for CNNSI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.

 

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