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It's pretty much a given that Pierce will work hard to improve his game this summer. As Jeff Van Gundy said throughout this series, he's a guy that adds something new to his game each and every off-season. But what can we expect from him in terms of conditioning/diet/weight lifting this summer?

Earlier in the season, Pierce expressed an interest in adopting Ray's workout/diet routine and even getting a "ripped" physique like Ray. I can't find that quote, but here's a quote from Pierce from Jackie MacMullan's article on Ray's OCD:
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Pierce says he plans to adopt some of Allen's eating habits and offseason workouts. But that's where he draws the line.

"If I had to stick to the exact same thing every day, I'd kill myself," Pierce says. "What happens if you go for your pregame meal and there's no more salmon in the freezer?

So what do you guys think? Might we see Paul Pierce report to camp in the best shape of his entire career? Or will he rest on his laurels a bit this off-season because his current physique more than got the job done in the post-season.

And yes, I realize that guys with thick builds like Pierce and Deron Williams are never going to have the build of a Corey Maggette or even a Ray Allen, but they can still get in better shape. And when you consider that Pierce will be 31-years-old next season, losing weight would definitely help cut down on the wear and tear on his knees.

Let's hope so. I'd like to see KG's and Ray's habits rub off on Pierce. But I don't know if it will happen. He was the 'fat kid" in (grade?) school (or so he says) That usually doesn't go away..

Ideally he realizes that this team has a shot at back to back titles..and he goes all out. But we might see weight gain from knee surgery instead.. <g> Who knows what the future holds. Either way you can never take away this run from the guy. Talk about stepping up to the plate.. wow.

Pete

I was blown away by how quick Pierce's first step is throughout the playoffs. Imagine how lethal it would be if he shed a significant amount of weight in the off-season.

Pierce does not have the conditioning to play the way he wants to, at both ends of the court, for the whole game. He's been reported to be damagingly exhausted near the ends of at least two Finals games (both wins, both in no small part wins due to how well he played). He was a slacker on defense for much of the past few seasons, to save energy for offense and sometimes rebounding.

Never mind that Pierce is an outstandingly-conditioned athlete; he'll surely try to get even better. Besides, that's something one can work on effectively on one's own.

Also, I think all the guys will practice a bit on the shots they wind up getting. They all play somewhat different roles in the offense than they did without such good teammates.

Conditioning and shooting are the easiest to work on alone.

So I expect Pierce to work on those, as well as playing a lot of pickup ball, practicing with his teammates when they visit, etc.

Guys like PP, KG, and Allen don't have to work on things all that much.

They all have great skill sets and only need repetition and fine tuning.

I expect Pierce to shed maybe 8-10 lbs. but only to help alleviate some weight on his knees/ankles.

I expect PP to continue to dominate on both ends of the floor and perhaps he will get the recognition for being an excellent one-on-one defender which he is.

The hard part for a guy like Paul is to convince him to put down the basketball and get in the gym. This championship run should help in several ways. He is probably ready to put the ball down for a couple of weeks. He also now has it clearly in front of him. There is a window to add to his legacy.

But my guess would be that it isn't nearly as much about conditioning as it is diet.

I expect Pierce to see about a MRI on his injured knee. Then he'll commence rehabbing it.

I feel like Pierce made a name for himself in the league once Shaquille O'Neal acknowledged his game and described him in such a way that Pierce adopted this description as a nickname. Pierce could always play in the NBA but it wasn't until Shaq spoke so highly of him after a game against the Celtics in a post game comment. That you knew that Pierce had arrived. And now that he has one national championship under his belt. Perhaps, he'll begin to get his name mentioned among the elite in the NBA.

I believe that once Pierce is cleared to participate in physical pickup games or what have you. He'll do as he always has done during the off season. He'll probably work on his dribbling some more and free throw shooting focusing on the basics. Maybe, adjust his shooting mechanics. Anywhere he needs improving... He'll watch tapes of himself from this season, I would imagine.

It would be ideal if a lot of these players came back to Boston early and workout together this summer.