Tommy Heinsohn moved past Cedric Maxwell in last weeks "announcer vs. announcer" matchup. He'll face former teammate Bill Russell in a few days.
Today, we finally get to see one of our top seeds in action. White bracket top seed, and second overall, Paul Pierce steps onto the cour to take on Tiny Archibald.
(2) Paul Pierce
1-on-1 Advantage: Scoring, shooting, size. Pierce is a total 1-on-1 package. Tommy Heinsohn calls him the best pure scorer in Celtics history for a reason. Pierce can hit from long range, he can drive and dunk on you, and he can hit that deadly step back from mid-range. Pierce uses his size in many ways. He uses his shoulders to hold off defenders on drives and he can back a smaller guy down if he wants. He's also a pretty good rebounder for a 3-man.
1-on-1 Disadvantage: Speed. The only place Pierce may lack is some foot speed. He's still a pretty good defender despite that, but he is still susceptible to a quick first step. A smaller quick guard could get by Pierce if he plays too tight.
(18) Tiny Archibald
1-on-1 Advantage: Shooting, scoring. Tiny was an explosive scorer. He once averaged 34 points in a season. His scoring tailed off for the Celtics, but he once shot close to 50% in a season for the C's.
1-on-1 Disadvantage: Size. Tiny is aptly nickname at only 6'1." In a 1-on-1, make-it, take-it game, he'll be prone to being backed down or guys shooting right over him. It will also make rebounding tough.
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