Roy,
To be fair and objective, can you please run those numbers for January and February and get back with us with those?? I think we might be looking at a totally different set of statistics. I look forward to seeing those shortly.
And I do realize that two months is not a large sample, but Green seems to be getting better and better and PP worse and worse over the last two months.
Thanks for running those Roy.
Smitty77
Pierce isn't getting worse. If I had a nickel for every time I've read that claim over the course of the past four years, well, I'd have a heck of a lot of nickels.
He's still an elite player, and he'll continue to have his ups and downs throughout the rest of the season, I'm sure. During the downs, everyone will post their theories about him being washed up, and during the ups, people will go; "wow, totally forgot the Truth could still do that."
pierce is still elite, but not as elite as he once was...or at least not elite on a consistent basis anymore. kozlo points out that pierce's shot is flat, he doesnt drive to the basket with the same authority and force he once did, and his defense is not consistently superior.
i see a pierce who has quarters, sometimes games, of elite performance. he still is a killer with timely 3 pointers.
but i also see him struggling some nights, more nights than used to be the case. some nights he looks just plain old.
pierce this season, i believe, is still good enough to help lift the celtics to victory against most nba teams in a short play off series. it is not a guarantee, but i wouldnt be surprised if he carried the team in a number of games in the playoffs.
but, he is aging and just watch his flat shot and his lack of lift when he jumps. it shows and eventually the "crafty veteran" stuff wont be enough to make up for deteriorating physical skills.
next year i would guess that barring injuries, pierce will still be one of the better sf in the nba. not elite, but very good with an occasional great outing.
in two years? geez....if he can play at even above average levels i would be very very pleased.
i state the obvious, i am good that.
pierce is still good, but let's enjoy it while we can.