Pierce reflects on Wizards' playoff run, uncertain future: 'I really like our team'
The Washington Wizards' season ended less than three weeks ago, but there have already been reports linking Paul Pierce to Doc Rivers and the Los Angeles Clippers following a D.C. exit.
The veteran forward doesn't sound like someone eager to get out of town, however.
"We fell up short, but I really like our team, I really like the young budding stars," Pierce told Mad Dog Sports Radio's The Players Tribune show, Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post reports.
"Man, it was a good run," Pierce said of the Wizards' mild postseason success. "We really have a really good young team, and a couple budding superstars."
The Wizards swept the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs before falling in six games to the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the team's second straight second-round appearance.
That second-round defeat left the Wizards wondering about what could have been, however, as All-Star point guard John Wall suffered a broken hand and wrist in Game 1, leaving him sidelined for three of the series' six games.
"It especially really hurt us when John broke his hand," Pierce told The Players Tribune show.
"Even though he came back, that really kind of hurt our rhythm, because we (were) playing so well. We felt like we were the better team if we had stayed healthy, but we lost some heartbreaking games," Pierce said, adding that he felt the Wizards could have given Cleveland a better Eastern Conference Finals matchup than Atlanta gave them (The Cavs swept the Hawks).
Pierce, who admitted he was surprised by Wall and Bradley Beal's dedication to studying the game, said he's headed to Mexico with his family next week, where he'll discuss and consider his options for the future.
The 37-year-old owns a $5.5 million player option for next season, and while he believes he proved he still has something left in the tank this season, he also admitted that it's getting tougher to prepare himself for the rigors of a long season.
"These seasons, as you get older, they just are so long and draining," Pierce said.
"It’s really all got to do with how my mental state of mind's gonna be this summer," the 17-year veteran added. "It’s just the mental part of getting ready in the summer and getting ready for a long year. Those are the things I’ve got to think about."
If Pierce returns for one final swansong, the Clippers certainly give him a better chance to contend in the traditional sense that they boast the superior team (provided they retain DeAndre Jordan), but the Wizards will likely still have an easier path to The Finals by virtue of competing in the East.