Will the Real Paul Pierce Please Stand Up?

[bostonfan23]

Pierce's playoff high this year is 22. That's disgusting. Doc Rivers has pounded team basketball too much into their heads so they all pass and expect SOMEONE to hit a big shot. I want the Paul Pierce who shoots 14-30 and scores 35 points.

He's averaging 16 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists a game. That's a decent postseason.. for a guy like Wally Szczerbiack. In the 02 playoffs, Paul put up  25/8/4. In 03, he put up 27/9/7. His FG% was about 40% for those two playoffs. I can tolerate that. What I can't tolerate is this disgusting display of basketball.

Screw unbuntu or whatever it's called, it's time for The Truth to take charge and put this team on his back.

[crownsy]

mark my words....its the back.

Its just too obvious. Gung ho about drvining the lane all year and game 1 against ATL. Gets the back stomped on and suddenly---

drive only when nesscary, takes less charges, and now misses FT's (and pulls out of that crouch he uses this year waaayyyy earlier, that screams "im not comfrtable crouching over anymore")

you guys think im crazy, but mark my words, that back is worse than they want to tell us.

not that it matters, he's got to play through it. it's playoff time, got to play through the injurys

[PierceMVP08]

Pierce's playoff high this year is 22. That's disgusting. Doc Rivers has pounded team basketball too much into their heads so they all pass and expect SOMEONE to hit a big shot. I want the Paul Pierce who shoots 14-30 and scores 35 points.

He's averaging 16 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists a game. That's a decent postseason.. for a guy like Wally Szczerbiack. In the 02 playoffs, Paul put up  25/8/4. In 03, he put up 27/9/7. His FG% was about 40% for those two playoffs. I can tolerate that. What I can't tolerate is this disgusting display of basketball.

Screw unbuntu or whatever it's called, it's time for The Truth to take charge and put this team on his back.

I agree completely.  I think the biggest problem with this team is that they are too much of a team.  We need somebody to take over a game and score 35-40 points.  Every championship has had that except for the 2004 Pistons.  Pierce has to be that guy because he's the only one capable of doing this.  Doc has no idea how to use him (or Allen for that matter) and it's costing us the series.  There is too much thinking about the team.  It's about time for Pierce take over the game and make this his team again.  We've all seen him do it before so we know he can.

[PRIDE]

mark my words....its the back.

Its just too obvious. Gung ho about drvining the lane all year and game 1 against ATL. Gets the back stomped on and suddenly---

drive only when nesscary, takes less charges, and now misses FT's (and pulls out of that crouch he uses this year waaayyyy earlier, that screams "im not comfrtable crouching over anymore")

you guys think im crazy, but mark my words, that back is worse than they want to tell us.

not that it matters, he's got to play through it. it's playoff time, got to play through the injurys

All year Pierce was attacking and even dunking on people. Where is that now? The back might be the answer...

[Curley]

How about Paul just keeps playing good D and is told to set screens and move the ball on offense against the Cavs.  He should not shoot if Lebron is covering him because he either turns it over or misses badly.  It is the worst matchup Paul can have: Lebron is bigger, quicker and stronger.  The fact that Lebron plays harder D against Pierce than anybody else in the league does not help matters.

[bostonfan23]

How about Paul just keeps playing good D and is told to set screens and move the ball on offense against the Cavs.  He should not shoot if Lebron is covering him because he either turns it over or misses badly.  It is the worst matchup Paul can have: Lebron is bigger, quicker and stronger.  The fact that Lebron plays harder D against Pierce than anybody else in the league does not help matters.

He did poorly against ATL though, too.

[crownsy]

How about Paul just keeps playing good D and is told to set screens and move the ball on offense against the Cavs.  He should not shoot if Lebron is covering him because he either turns it over or misses badly.  It is the worst matchup Paul can have: Lebron is bigger, quicker and stronger.  The fact that Lebron plays harder D against Pierce than anybody else in the league does not help matters.

He did poorly against ATL though, too.

only after game 2, game one and the first half he was tearing it up. then josh smith pile drives him and BAM we have a jump shooter who misses freethrows.

[Curley]

Don't get me wrong I want the game changing Paul Pierce we have seen for so many years to show up as well.  I was surprised with his performance in the Atlanta series but unfortunately this is about what I expected in this matchup, which is dissapointing.  I just think it needs to be the other guys (Ray Ray please step up) getting it done on the offensive end in this series.  

[crownsy]

its going to be hard for ray to step up without paul driving/ doc not running plays for him.

During the season and pre back injury Most of ray's offense was generated off the drive and kick from paul and rondo. For some reason neither want to drive right now.

Combine that with the fact that delonte is literally not playing rondo right now on defense, and effectivly he's double teamed, since even when wally gets picked off, delonte comes over to help.

either A) rajon needs to punish delonte by shooting well

or B) doc needs to run plays back at the weak side where delonte just came from.

[Mr October]

Yeah, it's time to pound the ball through the stars. Pierce or KG with the ball around the free throw line is devastating (when they go there). More KG postups are needed. And run some freakin' pick and rolls with Allen and KG.

Pierce absolutely needs to be in attack the basket mode.

[FreeGreen]

Pierce is busting his hump playing tremendous defense on Lebron.  When have you ever seen Lebron look so ordinary 3 games in a row?

Playing that kind of defense for 40 minutes takes a lot out of what he can do on the offensive end.  (Especially when Coach Einstein decides to run a full-out, training camp type practice in between 2 playoffs games where the players need all the rest they can get.)

The Celtics need to do 1 of 2 things:
#1.  Play Eddie House.  The Cavs are slumping off Rondo and making him beat them w/ the jump shot.  When Rondo is leading your team in shots, things are not going well.  The Cavs cannot do that when House is in the game, he'll kill them if they give him open 3 pointers.  This will force them to play straight up on KG and Allen and will give both of them more opportunities to score.

#2.  Play a lineup of Pierce, Allen, Posey, Garnett, Perkins (Powe).  Put Posey on James.  This will let Pierce save his energy on the defensive end, so he can attack the basket on offense.  Additionally, with Posey being the 5th man, the Cavs cannot cheat off of him because he can hit the open 3 pointer.

My Prediction:  The C's don't change anything.  Doc keeps guessing at lineups and substituting like it's the first week of the season.

[D Dub]

The return of one of Pierce's legendary fouth quarters certainly would be nice, but lets face it, despite his numbers he has still been the Best Celtic on the floor in each game.  His D last night was extrodinary, and quite frankly, is keeping us in this series. 

The question should be, why aren't his teamates picking him up on offense? 

Ray is trying to attack, and is getting doubled and trapped.  Can't say the same for KG, who seems content with swinging the ball in crunch time and settling for jumpers in isolation.  He is the one who needs to be in attack mode late in the game.  Andy Varajeo owned him in 1 on 1 coverage last night late.  That is unacceptable.

[youcanthandlethetruth113]

Pretty simple solution to a simple problem....ATTACK THE RIM!

Right now we're sending the message that "we're content with shooting jumpers"

when really we should be sending the following message:

"I"m going to dunk the ball or you're going to foul me".

Thoughts?

[angryguy77]

Pretty simple solution to a simple problem....ATTACK THE RIM!

Right now we're sending the message that "we're content with shooting jumpers"

when really we should be sending the following message:

"I"m going to dunk the ball or you're going to foul me".

Thoughts?



That is exactly what I have been saying all along. They are not taking smart shot attempts. Please, please, please get your head into the game and take some higher percentage shots in crunch time.

[steve]

Pierce is busting his hump playing tremendous defense on Lebron.  When have you ever seen Lebron look so ordinary 3 games in a row?

Playing that kind of defense for 40 minutes takes a lot out of what he can do on the offensive end.  (Especially when Coach Einstein decides to run a full-out, training camp type practice in between 2 playoffs games where the players need all the rest they can get.)

The Celtics need to do 1 of 2 things:
#1.  Play Eddie House.  The Cavs are slumping off Rondo and making him beat them w/ the jump shot.  When Rondo is leading your team in shots, things are not going well.  The Cavs cannot do that when House is in the game, he'll kill them if they give him open 3 pointers.  This will force them to play straight up on KG and Allen and will give both of them more opportunities to score.

#2.  Play a lineup of Pierce, Allen, Posey, Garnett, Perkins (Powe).  Put Posey on James.  This will let Pierce save his energy on the defensive end, so he can attack the basket on offense.  Additionally, with Posey being the 5th man, the Cavs cannot cheat off of him because he can hit the open 3 pointer.

My Prediction:  The C's don't change anything.  Doc keeps guessing at lineups and substituting like it's the first week of the season.

I agree 100%.  We got away with a lot in the reg season but in a playoff series where adjustments are made Doc is too stubborn.  What's the worst that could happen if we went to a RAY, Pierce, Posey, Garnett, Perk starting line up?  

It must be the back is a valid assumption but if it is then why kill him on defending Lebron.  He should be guarding Wally and shutting him down while Posey guards Lebron and shuts him down.