Pierce is in the three-point contest

[campybatman]

I wonder if any players from Boston will be invited to participate in any of these events. The only thing I know is that both Pierce and House want to compete in the Three-Point contest.



Skills Challenge - The defending champion is Derrick Rose.

Three-Point Contest - The defending champion is Daequan Cook.

H.O.R.S.E. - The defending champion is Kevin Durant.


Edit: The NBA didn't invite Rondo to participate in the Skills Challenge.

[Hilltop]

Man, I hope they get guys who at least even a little creative or enthusiastic to join the HORSE competition. Last year was pretty damn boring. I've had more exciting games of HORSE with friends in the park LOL.

[theman]

Rondo, Brandon Jennings and Nash in the skills competition.

House should have been in the 3 point contest last year.

Monta Ellis should be in the HORSE competition. Sports Center has been showing some of the ridiculous shots he's been making after practice.

[Banks2Pierce]

Man, I hope they get guys who at least even a little creative or enthusiastic to join the HORSE competition. Last year was pretty damn boring. I've had more exciting games of HORSE with friends in the park LOL.

Yea, it sucked. Just Durant nailing spot up 3's and an occasional 40 footer.

Although, it could get pretty long and drawn out with ridiculous shots flying around.

In theory, HORSE sounded pretty good, but it just falls flat on its face. I'll give it one more chance, but I don't have high hopes.

[Hilltop]

Man, I hope they get guys who at least even a little creative or enthusiastic to join the HORSE competition. Last year was pretty damn boring. I've had more exciting games of HORSE with friends in the park LOL.

Yea, it sucked. Just Durant nailing spot up 3's and an occasional 40 footer.

Although, it could get pretty long and drawn out with ridiculous shots flying around.

In theory, HORSE sounded pretty good, but it just falls flat on its face. I'll give it one more chance, but I don't have high hopes.

Same here. If it is boring (again) or if it takes absurdly long, I think they should just scrap it. That and the skills competition which I think is really just some overglorified yet mundane drill that players do half-heartedly while the commentators hype up with their exaggerated reactions.

[campybatman]

Although, nothing has been released officially. According to House, Pierce has been invited to participate in the three-point contest during All-Star weekend.

I hope he has been practicing whenever he could...

During an interview with the Dale & Holley Show on WEEI this afternoon, Celtics guard Eddie House said that teammate Paul Pierce has been invited to the 3-point shooting contest during the NBA's All-Star Weekend. House said that he himself has not received an invitation for the contest, and that the league chose Pierce instead.

"Paul is actually going to be the one representing the Celtics in the 3-Point Contest," said House. "Hope all is well with that and he gets a win."

"I was EMBARRASSED!," Pierce writes "The craziest part is, I never practiced for it. I thought it was just go out there, shoot and make shots. But you’ve got to practice grabbing the ball off the rack and getting to the next spot. You’re used to getting a pass. If I did it this year, I would set up the racks and actually practice for it. Because you’ve got to have a strategy, I think.

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball ... ce_in.html

[chakdaddy]

Man, I hope they get guys who at least even a little creative or enthusiastic to join the HORSE competition. Last year was pretty damn boring. I've had more exciting games of HORSE with friends in the park LOL.

Yea, it sucked. Just Durant nailing spot up 3's and an occasional 40 footer.

Although, it could get pretty long and drawn out with ridiculous shots flying around.

In theory, HORSE sounded pretty good, but it just falls flat on its face. I'll give it one more chance, but I don't have high hopes.

Maybe they should just not show it live, and edit the thing, cutting out a lot of the misses...looking at those '70s ones on youtube though, they looked more interesting.

[MyInsatiableOne]

I'd rather Pierce didn't participate and use the time to rest and heal...

In fact, I wish all of the C's could pull out of the game (the way players in the NFL do all the time with the Pro Bowl) and get some rest instead

All-Star games are stupid, anyway...name guys to the team as an honor, but ditch the game and instead give every team a week off to rest in the middle of the season. I'd do this in the NFL and MLB too

[Dave_From_NB]

I want Pierce (and Rondo and any other Celtic for that matter) doing everything they can to make the Celtics better. Any distraction from that is bad. I couldn't care less if they're in competitions I won't be watching.

[MyInsatiableOne]

^agreed, I want them resting and healing, not participating in meaningless stupidity...

[campybatman]

I don't believe Pierce will win but you've to admire his confidence. It's that confidence that will at least have me pulling for him.

The Celtics haven't had a strong showing in the 3-point contest since Bird dominated the early years of the event, with Antoine Walker doing even worse than Pierce in 2003 with seven first-round makes.

Pierce's teammate Eddie House, who had lobbied for inclusion with a series of YouTube videos, did not get invited, though it will be interesting to see if he draws consideration should Pierce be unable to attend.

But Pierce made it clear he intends on going -- and winning.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/ne ... id=4887915

[BRUNiNHO91]

Paul Pierce, Chauncey Billups, Daequan Cook, Channing Frye, Stephen Curry and Danilo Gallinari.


If Paul can make the first few, and get hot, he will win it EASILY. Would love to see a Paul Pierce & Chauncey Billups shootout for the title..

[Cyclical]

Game shooting and contest volume/speed shooting are two different skills. I just can't see Paul winning this thing.

Gotta love the confidence:

Me being one of the great shooters in NBA history, I deserve to be in it.

Not quite sure you are Paul... Greatest scorers - hell yeah.

[Ben-N1ce]

Greatest Celtic 3 point entree ever

2:20 in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqD_PLniOMM

[GuyClinch]

Paul would need to practice quite a bit to win this thing. The guy can hit a 3 but like he points out the contest is very different. It's like Tiger Woods in a long drive contest. Sure Tiger can hit some long drives but those other guys - that's all they practice.

[GuyClinch]

In fact, I wish all of the C's could pull out of the game (the way players in the NFL do all the time with the Pro Bowl) and get some rest instead

NBA all-star game is a much bigger deal.. You only go around once and PP's chances of getting another good shot to win a 3 point contest at the all-star game are very low. OTOH he has a championship and with a declining Ray Allen and a still gimpy KG his chance at a repeat championship is far from guaranteed..

[campybatman]

Why not Gallinari versus Pierce?

These do are doing a lot of talking, they better back it up for their sake.

New York loves predictions, just ask Joe Namath, but even this might be a stretch.

Second-year New York Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari has guaranteed victory in this month's three-point contest at the NBA All-Star weekend in Dallas, even though he hasn't been formally invited to participate in the event.

"I will win it. I'm telling you right now I'm going there to win," he told the New York Daily News.

http://www.silive.com/knicks/index.ssf/ ... nvite.html

[BRUNiNHO91]

I'm pretty sure Paul Pierce was just playing around when he said he was one of the best shooters in the history of the game.

“And I’m one of the great shooters in NBA history,” he added with a laugh, “so I deserve to be there.”

That 'He added with a laugh'..hints a joke to me...


And never once did he say he was GOING TO WIN, he just said he was planning on going, and winning. What is he supposed to say?? 'Mhm..yeah I plan on going, but I plan on losing'...come on now.

What Gallinari said on the other hand...

[campybatman]

And never once did he say he was GOING TO WIN, he just said he was planning on going, and winning. What is he supposed to say?? 'Mhm..yeah I plan on going, but I plan on losing'...come on now.

Perhaps, you missed reading this quote. And he wasn't joking entirely about saying he'll win it.

I took what he said and what Gallinari said as basically meaning the same thing. They both are saying they intend on winning it, and will win it. There's nothing wrong with that and I never wrote that there is.

I can't speak for Pierce, but I would've said that I'll go out there and do my best. Notice the difference between saying that and saying outright that you'll win the event. Maybe, you should spend less time trying to defend a player who doesn't need you to defend him. I didn't say anything negative toward Pierce at all. Like Pierce said, it's a fun event and I'm saying it would be fun to have a Boston versus New York showdown in the event's final. You were the one who misread me and took it way out of context. You got bent out of shape over absolutely nothing.

"I think it's fun and being one of the great shooters in the NBA, I deserve to be in it," Pierce said. After predicting victory, Pierce was asked who would finish second -- as Bird did of his competitors. Pierce kept the jabs coming.

[GuyClinch]

Gallinari has a very nice stroke..its going to be interesting.