WASHINGTON -- Wizards forward Paul Pierce will face the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night for the first time since his former team decided not to re-sign him in the offseason.
The Nets (16-23) have struggled ever since. Meanwhile, Pierce has flourished in a supporting role for the Wizards (27-12).
"Any team without Paul Pierce misses him. Period," Pierce said following the team's morning shootaround.
Asked if playing his former team would give him an added motivation, Pierce responded, "It's just like any other game, truthfully. I was only there for one year."
Longtime teammates Pierce and Kevin Garnett have not faced one another since March 4, 2007.
"It should be fun," Garnett said. "I told him last night -- we went to dinner -- 'Man, I hope I don't pass you the ball.' It's always good to see him in good health. Health is everything in this league. He's playing well. His team is playing well. We've got a big challenge in front of us."
Said Pierce: "It's gonna seem weird, I guess. We've been on the same team for the last seven, eight years. We had a chance to sit down and talk last night, but we understand that it is what it is. He's there, I'm here. At the end of the day we're facing each other.
"I just hope he doesn't hit me with one of those illegal screens like he usually does with these other guys," Pierce joked.
Asked for his take on his recent fracas with Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard, which resulted in him serving a one-game suspension, Garnett replied, "There wasn't no take. That's what it is. And you would bring that s--- up."
The Nets have lost seven straight games. Owner Mikhail Prokhorov is looking to sell the team, sources told ESPN.com, while Brooklyn has also been engaged in trade talks with the Oklahoma City Thunder regarding center Brook Lopez.