Rivers expects Pierce 'to take big shots and make a lot of them'
Paul Pierce is a man who can wear many hats -- shooter, passer, starter, bench player, rebounder, passer and, most importantly, leader.
Pierce brings nearly 18 years of NBA experience to the Clippers' roster. He's played in every type of game, and he's a proven winner.
So what kind of role will he play on a Los Angeles Clippers roster that looks incredibly different than it did a few months ago?
"You know he's going to take big shots and make a lot of them," head coach Doc Rivers said Friday on the Dan Patrick Show. "The thing I love about him, he's never been scared to take them. So it's great to have another guy on your team who's willing to do that."
#Clippers sign veteran forward Josh Smith, giving Doc Rivers MORE bench depth! http://t.co/rcTvRPqvyQ #NBA pic.twitter.com/ikcUMGdenU
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Pierce shot fairly well from three last season in Washington, shooting 38.7 percent -- a number he improved upon during the postseason, upping it to 52.3 percent. He averaged 11.9 points per game during the regular season and 14.6 in the playoffs.
On the score sheet isn't where Pierce will make the most impact for this Clippers team. He will play the role of mentor, according to his coach.
"I think he understands team building," Rivers said. "He actually saw it firsthand when we assembled our Big 3 in Boston. That team won it in the first year, and it took a lot of team building to do that, a lot of sacrificing shots, of egos."
In Boston, Pierce was part of the Big 3. In Los Angeles, he's merely going to be the glue that keeps it all together.
