There's a strong possibility Paul Pierce won't be selected All-NBA first team when the season ends in April. Fine. The competition is heavy. But if the fourth-year Celtics swingman isn't voted onto the second team, the basketball writers aren't doing their homework.

That's how vastly Pierce has elevated his game this season, though his graduation from a star-quality player to one of the game's elite would likely have gone somewhat unnoticed had his team continued to flounder. But for the first time in seven years, the Celtics are a playoff-caliber outfit, and with team success comes individual attention.

Pierce and Antoine Walker have already discovered