Paul Pierce has never had any misconceptions about why he is where he is. If the Nets brought him to Brooklyn to knock down big shots in the first round of the playoffs, the Wizards brought him to Washington to be a locker-room presence, a savvy vet, a grinder, and a leader.
If veteran center Marcin Gortat and second-year swingman Otto Porter are to be believed, Pierce is also there to help make the Wizards a more intimidating, physical outfit. Porter and Gortat talked to CSN Washington's J. Michael Falgoust on Thursday about the culture Pierce is already trying to instill in the nation's capital.
"You like competitive guys that take things serious, said Porter. "He's not the type of guy that has a lot of friends in the NBA. Like the old days. That's good. That's what our team needs.
"Today I heard him say, 'Hey, we got to protect home court this year. Anybody who come up here, they're going to get beaten up.' I was like, 'That's what I'm talking about.' I hadn't heard that in here. I'm about that. That's how it was at Georgetown. Protect home court, always. … That's going to change.
"That's what I think makes him great," said Gortat. "He's a true warrior. He's a leader. I've been here for a week now and I work with him every day. I play with him every day. It's ridiculous how people follow his lead. He shows up at the gym two hours before practice. Even young guys can't beat him. That shows a lot. Everybody's running, he's not going to sit on the bench. We're all going to run together. I don't think it's going to be a problem with him."
With the Nets last season, his 16th in the NBA, Pierce posted career lows in minutes (28), points (13.5) and assists (2.4) per game, but posted a very respectable 59.5 true shooting percentage and a 16.8 PER.
Pierce will turn 37 in October.
