Paul Pierce: Blazers’ guards are as good as Warriors’

Paul Pierce has made some more comments that are sure to get the attention of the masses.

During ESPN’s pregame coverage before Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night, Pierce said he thought the Portland Trail Blazers could win if Kevin Durant misses games in the series due to his calf injury. In his explanation for his pick, Pierce said the Blazers’ guards are as good as the Warriors’.

“I do (think Portland can win),” Pierce said. “I think it’s closer than you think. For one, I think that the backcourts are a wash. Damian Lillard was a first-team All-NBA player a year ago. That will be Steph (Curry) this year. So these guys are neck-and-neck when we talk about talent and scoring. CJ McCollum is playing like an All-Star. Klay Thompson is an All-Star. So they’re not far off from each other. The difference is the role players.”

Pierce’s support of Portland’s guards is nice, but we can’t agree. Curry is an MVP and the greatest shooter in NBA history. There is a big difference between being second or even first-team All-NBA and being a league MVP. The difference between those two levels is similar to the difference between being a first or second-team All-NBA pick and just missing the cut. Similarly, Klay is so accomplished and has proven how good he is numerous times. McCollum is a very good player and proved his value in Game 7 of the conference semis, but he’s still a step below Thompson.

The best way for them to prove Pierce’s comments to be true is to play amazingly in the series and beat the Warriors. Then we may start to think differently. Until then, Pierce may get laughed out of the building the way he was on his last comments.