The Celtics were hurt bad by the fact that Paul Pierce only played in 47 games last season due to injuries. In those 47 games, Pierce averaged 37.0 minutes, 25.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.0 steal per game for the Celtics last season. He also shot reasonably well from everywhere on the court as he hit 43.9% of his FGs, 38.9% of his 3-PTs and 79.6% of his free throws. The Celtics are just not that good when Pierce doesn’t play so they will need to keep him healthy next season if they want to have a legit shot at the playoffs.

Paul Pierce has had an outstanding career so far for the Boston Celtics. He has now played in 652 games and he’s averaged 23.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Those are outstanding numbers as many around the league forget just how good Pierce is because of how poorly the Celtics have played the last few seasons. His shooting %’s are about what he had this season as he’s hit 44.0% from the floor, 36% from 3-point range and 79.1% from the free throw line. Look for Pierce to continue to add to his stellar career numbers next season for the Celtics.