With Paul Pierce forced to miss the next two weeks due to minor knee surgery, it will feel a lot like 2006-07 — the last time Pierce was out of the lineup for an extended period of time. Even though that team didn't have Garnett, Ray Allen or Rasheed Wallace, they only had Pierce for 47 games and completed one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Now we'll find out if Pierce is still the most important player on the Celtics, and we'll find out if he holds the same significance to the team that he did three years ago.
It's not certain that Garnett will be in the lineup either after missing Wednesday's game with a mild thigh bruise, but it's likely he will be back now that Pierce will be sidelined for a couple of weeks.
"He may play, but it will be a game-time decision Friday," Danny Ainge told The Boston Globe regarding Garnett's return. "I think he's fine — it's not anything structural. He wanted to play [Tuesday] night, but we're being cautious."
It was obvious there was a problem with Pierce on Tuesday against the Pacers when he started the game 0-for-10. But eventually he found his groove, finishing with 21 points.
"I wasn't going to continue to force it, but I was getting great shots," Pierce said of his disappointing start. "I thought something was wrong with the rim, not with me."
Apparently something was wrong with him, though it's remarkable that despite the unknown injury, he was still able to finish strong.
"That's the difference between the average player and the great player," Doc Rivers said after the Celtics' win over the Pacers. "The average player stops shooting and turns it into a bad game. The great players are thinking after every miss, the next one has to go in."
Over the next two weeks, the Celtics will play six games, five of them on the road. They will face the Magic, Clippers, Warriors, Suns, Raptors and Heat between now and Jan. 6 — Pierce's expected return date. It will be a tough stretch, but it will also be a chance for the Celtics to overcome the injury adversity they grew accustomed to at the end of last season.
"Christmas, to me, is all about giving," Pierce told the Globe. "And we can give the fans a treat on Christmas Day: play a great game."
This time against the Magic, the Celtics will see if they can handle playing without Pierce. Last season, they were unable to without Garnett.
