Lucas: Career Development

By Adam Lucas

Within minutes of beginning a conversation with Justin Pierce, his future becomes very clear: he's going to the NBA.

Perhaps as a player. He possesses a diverse skill set and will have the opportunity to showcase it in multiple ways in his one season for North Carolina this year as a graduate transfer from William and Mary.

But when his playing career is over, that's when Pierce is most definitely going to the NBA: as a member of some lucky team's front office.

"I've always been interested in money and how organizations are run," Pierce says. "And I also love basketball, and NBA franchises are run and operated like the multi-billion dollar companies that they are. My dream is to combine all those loves to be a general manager one day. I've always loved the concept of roster construction and working with a salary cap and putting together a collective unit with a goal of winning in mind."

When Pierce was making his decision about where to play his graduate transfer season, Carolina's connections to NBA front offices were a strong selling point. He has an undergraduate finance degree from William and Mary (that he obtained in three years thanks to Advanced Placement credits from high school and a heavy course load in his third year in college) and is working on a graduate business degree at Carolina. He clearly possesses the smarts and the pedigree professional teams want on their executive team.

But before he moves into the executive suite, he still has a playing career to finish. As you'd expect from someone who sees the game with a wider perspective, Pierce is a big fan of analytics. Playing under Tar Heel alum Tony Shaver for the Tribe, he's been a part of teams that focused almost exclusively on the higher-efficiency three-point shot and shots directly at the rim.

"I am big into analytics," Pierce says. "But I also know they are not a perfect science. Chemistry can't be measured and there is a mental aspect of guys playing together and who fits well with each other. The five best players according to analytics might not work on the court together. But in terms of shot selection, defensive metrics and plus-minus, I am a big believer. I have learned a lot about my own game through analytics."

Pierce spent most of last summer watching film on Synergy to prepare for a season when he expected to have the ball in his hands more due to William and Mary's lack of depth at the point guard position. He intensely studied his clips coming off ball screens. After he put what he learned into action, his turnovers went down and his efficiency in ball screen situations increased.

So Roy Williams will never have to be concerned with whether Pierce will work on the parts of his game that need to be improved. It's also positive news that after breaking his wrist last summer, Pierce finally feels fully healthy and—after his three-point percentage dipped from 41.6% as a sophomore to 32.4% as a junior—says he is shooting the ball more confidently.

But Pierce also is more than just a shooter. "I play with passion and I play to win," he says. "I pride myself in doing whatever it takes to help the team win. Whether that's taking charges, rebounding, or scoring and shooting if it's my night. We play this game because we love it. For me, it was my dream to play at this level and play for an NCAA championship.

"I've always made it a point to remember the real reason why I'm here. The ten years ago version of me would want me to be out there, look at the crowd, and remember that I'm living my dream right now playing on a national stage in front of thousands of people. It doesn't get better than that. If you score 30 and lose, no one cares. But if you're part of a winning culture, that's special and that's what lasts forever."

University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Justin Pierce

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