Paul Pierce Suggests Lineup Change for Spurs in NBA Finals

Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce believes the San Antonio Spurs should make a strategic lineup change to improve their chances in the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. In a discussion with his former Boston Celtics teammate, Kevin Garnett, during their “Ticket & the Truth” podcast, Pierce emphasized the importance of starting Dylan Harper.

“If I’m San Antonio, I’m bringing Fox off the bench. I’ve had enough. Dylan Harper is playing too good, but on the flipside, Harper is good coming off the bench,” Pierce explained. He believes De’Aaron Fox is “singlehandedly keeping the Knicks in the game” with his recent performances but struggles to make crucial shots.

Pierce, a recognized scorer himself, remarked, “I look at Fox as a scorer, bro. He is not hitting shots. Fox has always been known as a scorer. He’s getting good looks, too. It’s not like they doing anything in the scouting report to limit Fox … He’s just not making shots.”

Despite this, Fox excelled in Game 2 of the series, scoring 20 points with a shooting percentage of 66.7, making 8 of his 12 field goal attempts and both three-pointers. However, his performances in Game 1 (23.1 percent) and Game 3 (28.6 percent) were less effective, impacting the Spurs’ results negatively, with a loss and a narrow win in those games, respectively.

Fox, a veteran on the Spurs team, previously dealt with an injury that hindered his playoff contributions. During his absence, Harper stepped into the starting role, performing commendably. Coach Mitch Johnson’s preference for Fox over Harper might stem from valuing Fox’s experience over Harper’s inexperience, despite Harper’s talent.