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Message: [QUOTE="perdurabo, post: 2809076, member: 3948"] The list of five players Pierce calls the toughest ever to defend includes LeBron James ("His style of play just wears you out over the course of a game."); Vince Carter("He's hell to guard out on the perimeter because of the elevation on his shot. But you were so afraid of him blowing by you and throwing down a dunk that would be all over SportsCenter that you would allow him space to shoot."); Tracy McGrady ("He's 6'9", has long arms and can jump out of the gym, so every time he went up to shoot there was no point even trying to block it."); and Kobe Bryant("By taking that many shots, he's meticulously wearing down the defender until he breaks them. He's made a career out of making guys lose confidence in their defense and then continuing to attack them.") But Pierce says the one player who has been more difficult to guard than any of the others has been Carmelo Anthony. Pierce's biggest complaint about guarding 'Melo is that there are no holes in his game. He notes that Kobe can be defended down low and LeBron can sometimes be stopped by making him take jumpshots. The same can't be said about guarding Anthony. If I had to single one guy out who is the most difficult player to guard in the league, it would have to be Carmelo. He’s a unique blend of being big, strong, and athletic while also having a world-class shooting touch and a natural ability to get to the rim. That’s what sets him apart — every facet of his game is elite. Some great players will have one or two particular skills that make them special. But Carmelo can do everything, which puts you in a baaad situation as a defender. A lot of guys might shoot better from certain areas, so you try to force them elsewhere on the floor. Carmelo doesn’t have a spot on the floor where he can’t consistently hit shots. In my opinion, his combination of physicality and shooting touch is unmatched in the NBA. You can’t take one second off when you’re matched up against him. [URL="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/paul-pierce-five-toughest-players-ive-ever-guarded"]The Five Toughest Players I've Ever Guarded | By Paul Pierce[/URL] [/QUOTE]

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