Greivis Vasquez says trash-talker like Paul Pierce what Raptors missing

Greivis Vasquez was weary of Paul Pierce's trash talk at the beginning of the Toronto Raptors' first-round playoff series against the Washington Wizards, but after his team was swept Sunday, he now says a talker like Pierce is exactly what Toronto needs.

Pierce grabbed attention in a pre-series interview when he said the Raptors didn't have "it" and didn't worry him as an opponent. The Raptors did nothing to prove Pierce wrong, falling to the Wizards in four games.

"We need somebody to speak up and be like, this is how it is and challenge everybody else. Basically, we need a Paul Pierce that's going to talk that trash. We don't have that. We're all good guys that just don't want to [talk trash]," the Raptors' point guard said Monday.

The 37-year-old Pierce averaged 15.5 points and converted 58 percent of his 3-point attempts (14-for-24) in the sweep of the Raptors, who exited the playoffs meekly after a 49-33 regular season in which they won the Atlantic Division.

Vasquez gave Pierce credit for backing up his talk.

"He knew what he was doing because he's done it for so long, but it works. You need to have that spiciness, you need to be a little bit like an a--h--- like he is, saying the things he say and back it up. This man said whatever he say and he went on the court and did it," Vasquez said.