On option play, Pierce is open man
ATLANTA -- Paul Pierce merely wants to keep all of his options open. ''Like every businessman does," as he put it.
Last night, before the Celtics' 98-94 victory over the Hawks, Pierce said he is not looking to leave Boston, but, like everyone else affiliated with the team, he is upset at what's happened this season. But, he added, it's not as if he returned this season and figured he was joining the 1985-86 Celtics.
''I am frustrated with the losing," said Pierce. ''But I came into this season thinking we might be a young, growing team with our inconsistencies. I didn't expect this record. [It's] the inconsistencies of young guys trying to find their niche in this league."
He did say that if Danny Ainge, the team's executive director of basketball operations, came to him with a trade proposal, he would consider it.
''It's not a situation where I'd go to them," he said. ''But if something was presented to me, something that would be good for me and agreeable to me, what player in my position wouldn't do that?
''Jason Kidd weighed his options when he was thinking of going to San Antonio. Of course I'm going to weigh my options. But I want to stay with the Celtics for the rest of my career."
Pierce has this season and two more on his contract, although the last year is an option year (his). Coach Doc Rivers said last night he was not concerned that Pierce might suddenly go Ron Artest on the team and demand to be moved.
''I'm not worried about it," Rivers said. ''I think Paul wants to be a Celtic and wants to stay here.
''It's easy to make a reflex move -- and we're not going to do that. That would be a bad move in my opinion, and in Danny's opinion, too."
Ainge has consistently maintained that he is not interested in moving Pierce, although he also has acknowledged he is in a ''race against time" to get the team to play better as an enticement to keep Pierce around.
Foot soldier
Prior to the game, Tony Allen complained of pain in his left foot, which he hurt Monday night, and, according to Rivers, he was ''iffy." Allen did not look comfortable warming up, but he was the second Celtic off the bench and played 15-plus minutes. Kendrick Perkins was the first man off the bench after playing a total of 1 second against the Hawks last Friday. He went 15 minutes, most of it in the first half . . . Pierce went over the 13,000 mark in career points. He now has 13,012 . . . The loss denied Atlanta its first three-game winning streak since April 2004 . . . ''SportsCenter" highlight of the night came in the third quarter, when Ricky Davis broke free for what looked like one of his trademark dunks. But Josh Smith (3 blocks) came out of nowhere to make a block, sending Davis to the floor. There was no call; Davis complained that he had been whacked on the head. After that play, the Celtics went on a 13-4 run to cut an 11-point deficit to 2.Long view
Atlanta entered the game as the top 3-point shooting team in the league and made 5 of 13 from international waters, all but one in the first half. The Hawks were last in the league in 3-point shooting last season . . . Rivers kept Raef LaFrentz in the starting lineup, but LaFrentz played a season-low eight minutes and had 2 points and 2 rebounds . . . The Celtics encountered strong headwinds and needed 2 hours 40 minutes to get to Atlanta. As a result, they didn't arrive at their hotel until nearly 3 a.m. . . . The Celtics' pathetic first half included two defensive three-second violations and a lane violation off a missed Atlanta free throw . . . Rivers on playing the veterans in the second half: ''I thought it was a thinking man's game." . . . Happy birthday today to Dominique Wilkins, who turns 46.
