Nets' Williams shrugs off Pierce's criticism

Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams says he has thick skin and isn't bothered by criticism from former teammate Paul Pierce.

"It's what it is," Williams said Wednesday night, before an Indiana Pacers' loss got the Nets into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth. Williams was responding to comments Pierce made to ESPN this week, when the now-Washington Wizards forward claimed that last year's Nets "didn't want to play or practice."

Pierce singled out Williams specifically, echoing a popular view on the point guard since he left the Utah Jazz in 2011. "Before I got there, I looked at Deron as an MVP candidate," Pierce told ESPN's Jackie MacMullan, suggesting that moving from Salt Lake City to New York affected Williams. "I think a lot of the pressure got to him sometimes."

Williams claims the opposite, and said Wednesday that he doesn't take criticism personally playing in the Gotham media market. "Being here, I got pretty thick skin," Williams told reporters. "(Pierce) has his opinions, and that's fine."

Last season's Nets managed to beat the Toronto Raptors in seven games in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the Miami Heat. This year after jettisoning veterans Pierce and Kevin Garnett, the Nets stumbled to a 38-44 record and find themselves in tough against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.

The Nets were 0-4 against the Hawks this season. Williams, who came off the bench in a career-high 13 games this year, shot sub-40 percent for the first time in his career with 13 points and 6.6 assists per game.

Meanwhile, Nets swingman Joe Johnson says he agrees with Pierce's assessment that he is quiet. "He's probably right," Johnson said, per The Brooklyn Game. "He's right about me. He’s absolutely right."