Paul Pierce (knee) should be fine for Wednesday's regular-season opener in Miami, according to CSN Washington.

Pierce (knee) should be fine for Wednesday's regular-season opener in Miami, according to CSN Washington.

Analysis:

Pierce, who missed the final two exhibition games, is merely dealing with a bruise. He didn't log many minutes in the preseason, which is to be expected at his age. He's locked in as the starter at small forward, and the Wizards may ask him to log a few more minutes than expected while Martell Webster (back) and Brad Beal (wrist) are sidelined for the beginning of the season. Potential owners should still tread carefully, as the Wizards may eventually have a playing time crunch on the wing, and will likely want to save Pierce's legs for a potential playoff run.