http://espn.go.com/nba/pr...ltics-vs-new-york-knicks
2. Who do you want leading your team: Carmelo Anthony or Paul Pierce?
Henry Abbott, TrueHoop: I'd pick Kevin Garnett or Amare Stoudemire ahead of either of those guys, but if I had to pick, I'd go with Pierce. In part because I recently read an NBA scout's critique of Anthony that said he's an amazingly skilled scorer who will blossom when he learns to make his teammates better on both ends of the floor. That was from 2004. Has anything changed?
Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston: Melo is younger and his stats are glossier, but Pierce's overall contributions remain more important to his team overall. Boston's ship doesn't go far without its captain. That said, Pierce's age now matches his jersey number (34), so how long can he keep it up?
Brendan Jackson, CelticsHub: Paul Pierce. I know that sounds like a homer pick but I value ball movement over a guy who can "get his" whenever he wants. Having someone capable of going one-on-five is a luxury, not an offense.
Mike Kurylo, KnickerBlogger: Right now, if I had to choose for a single game, I'd take Pierce because of his stronger commitment to defense. On the other hand, Anthony is six years and 229 days younger, so he's the better choice for the long term.
David Thorpe, Scouts Inc.: Neither. Melo is simply not a leader, and Pierce is both long in the tooth and not someone locked in all year 'round to earn my captaincy anymore.
Brendan Jackson, CelticsHub: Celtics. I see the C's firmly in control of the No. 3 seed behind Miami and Chicago. The Knicks traded their third option on offense for their only option on defense. While Tyson Chandler makes up for the Knicks' interior woes, he does nothing to replace Chauncey Billups. Even worse for the Knicks? Neither do Baron Davis or Mike Bibby.
