Paul Pierce has had some bad takes in the past that he’s been rightly roasted for, along with some not-so-great predictions.
But I’ve seen some NBA fans taking him to task for an opinion that’s actually completely valid.
Pierce appeared on a recent episode of ESPN’s The Jump and had this to say about his expectations for Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who was having a historically amazing season before the pause due to coronavirus.
“I expect special things from him,” he said. “You talk about a kid who made one of the biggest leaps in recent memory from a Rookie of the Year to MVP-caliber player. He has won at every European championship that you can think of, every European MVP that you can think of. So I expect special things from this kid. Clearly, he’s special. He’s a talent. To me, he is the most talented player in the NBA, today. The lights are never too bright for him.”
Notice: he said most talented, not the best. We all know that in the conversation for the best is Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James. As far as talent goes? This is a kid who just turned 21 and is close to averaging a triple-double (with 28.7 ppg!!) in just his second NBA season, which means he could take another leap or two before his prime.
Yet a lot of people mistook his statement for declaring Doncic the best (although maybe we’ll revisit that conversation in a few years):
It’s not the hot take you think it is. Trust me.
