Cowens Speaks the Truth

“There’s absolutely no question that the guy is as good as any player that’s ever played for the Celtics, as far as I’m concerned,” Dave Cowens said.

I haven't written much about the Truth since the summer of 2008. I still like him, and enjoy watching him summon up his mojo in big games. The problem is I really have a tough time putting his career in perspective. For the moment, he reminds me of Hondo. I think as an aging player Pierce is probably better than John Havlicek was at a similar point in his career. 



Maybe Pierce is kind of like U2 after releasing Atomic Bomb. The band had finally amassed enough great material to be mentioned in the same breath as the Beatles. But it took U2's own White Album, No Line on the Horizon, for people to start wondering if perhaps the Dublin Quartet might be better. 

So maybe this year is a tipping point for #34. 

If P-Squared plays 70-75 games and plays big in big games, maybe he legitimately moves into the Russell, Hondo, and Bird conversation. At some point longevity becomes an increasingly weighty measure of greatness. Sometimes sustained greateness  gives more light than does a shorter career with higher peaks. Think Emmitt Smith v. Earl Campbell. The next two years may be when Paul Pierce solidifies his lasting legacy in the pantheon of Celtic greats.