Paul Pierce Suggesting The Heat Wouldn't Get Out Of The First Round With Damian Lillard Is Proof That True Hating Never Dies
Mike Ehrmann. Getty Images.It goes without saying that the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat have a bit of a rivalry. It's a little one sided at the moment, but when you face the same team multiple times deep in the playoffs, a natural hated forms. That's the beauty of sports. With that rivalry comes talking shit. Right now, the Celts and their fans can't really talk shit. They lost that privilege the second they lost Game 7 on their home floor. The same way Heat fans couldn't say shit in 2022 after dropping Game 7 on their home floor, the same is now true the other way. If you don't like it, don't lose Game 7. Seems pretty simple enough for me.
Luckily for us, not everyone feels that way, specifically Paul Pierce. It's why I love him. You cut that man open and his blood is probably some sort of green/booze/THC combo.
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Given his own personal experience with the Heat, he's always going to be a hater to some degree. Those teams had some battles. So when he was asked what he thought about the Heat adding Dame, I can't say I was surprised by his response
OK, so saying the Heat with Dame wouldn't make it out of the first round is maybe a little extreme.
As he went on to explain why he thinks that, his reasons weren't exactly wrong. In order to get Dame a decent amount of the Heat depth would have to go. That is true. They would need to figure out how to address whatever holes they are left with by finding some minimum guys. Where I think Pierce maybe takes it a little too far is thinking that would be some sort of impossible ask. Would it shock anyone if a player like Kelly Oubre is just waiting this out to see if the Heat would need an offensive wing in a post-Dame trade? Same with Christian Wood.
So while it's true that the Heat would be losing some of their depth that played a huge role in their Finals run, they are also adding Damian Lillard. Losing bench pieces will matter a lot less when you don't need to really rely on the bench pieces in the same way because now you can run offense through Dame. If everyone is healthy, that trio is good enough to win a playoff series regardless of seeding. Let's not get too crazy.
But this is why I'll always love Paul Pierce. Why be reasonable when you could just let the hate flow? I know he's hurt by what happened this past May, we all are. That shit fucking sucked. Just like it sucked losing Game 7 in 2012 to the Heat which I know haunts Paul as well.
I'll say this though, he is called The Truth for a reason. If Pierce ends up being right and the Heat with Dame don't make it out of the first round the internet might just self-combust. Given everything Dame has done to force his way to the Heat, they would join the Finals or failure group of teams in the league. A team like that cannot lose in the first round and come out without heavy slander, just ask the Bucks.