"It's as much an insult as a compliment.

Paul Pierce, "professional scorer.''

He knows what they mean when they say it. He can get to the basket. He's "crafty.'' He's "deceptive.'' Not the fastest player on the floor. Not the most athletic in the league. His shot isn't the prettiest. But it works.

It's the same with Ray Allen, "the greatest 3-point shooter of all time.''

It's an honor, really. But sometimes Allen tries to keep himself from cringing. "I try to be a great all-around player,'' he'll say. What he means is he can still dunk. That there aren't many teams in the league willing to give him a lane to drive through. That there's life for him inside the 3-point line. That for all the threes he hit to become the all-time leader in that category, he's also made enough to help him become one of the 25 top scorers in league history.

But they're pigeonholed. And they'd love to trade places. It's why Pierce challenged Allen in tonight's 3-point contest, because there's no better way to be considered among the best shooters of all time than to compete against one."