Pierce Boycotting the Media?

[Scott]

It's no big deal.  If Pierce doesn't want to talk to the media that is his choice.  He was frustrated enough as it was and I can understand if he didn't want to deal with the media's questions.  Pierce and the team need to get away from the press and focus on the team and get back to how they were playing in the regular season.

[clover]

Not speaking to the media was a reasonable route for Pierce, given everything, right now. 

The trouble is that he spoke to the media in telling them specifically that he was 'boycotting' them, which is essentially saying that he was not talking as an act of protest against a grievance he has because he believes they have wronged him.  That is another form of surly, immature behavior at playoffs time for 'The Captain', as it is blaming the media for something that they didn't cause and certainly were expected to report on.  Even just telling them that he was 'boycotting' them was a silly form of petulance on Pierce's part.

He's a human being with strengths and weaknesses, and by now we know he's a very good basketball player who is one of our best and stepping up when a big game is on the line.  Just look at the closing minutes without him last night.  But he goes too far when he either tries to become a one-man team in such situations or when he gets into his counterproductive headband-throwing, spittle-spewing mode.

Would we rather have a Tim Duncan, LeBron James or Koby Bryant come playoff time?  Of course we would.  But he's still a very, very good player whom we're lucky to have.

[TripleOT]

That foul call just manufactured 2 more free throws for the Hawks and basically took our best scorer off the floor for the rest of the 4th quarter.

That really horrendous foul call manufactured one FT for the guy allegedly fouled, Pachulia. Pierce manufactured the other by childishly throwing his headband to the floor.  The captain of the Boston Celtics has to keep his composure in that situation, regardless of whether a horrible call has gone against him.

There's no way the refs are going to say "Paul's right. When I saw how angry he was and when the headband hit the floor, I realized I made the wrong call, so I'm going to reverse it."

What the ref is going to do, every single time, is the up the player and award a chance for a free point to the other team. If Paul conducted himself properly there and didn't throw the headband (or if he didn't wear a headband, and then would have had nothing to throw), the Cs would have been down only two int he final possession, a way better situation.

The fact that Paul Pierce didn't learn from his disgraceful behavior in the Tinsley incident at the end of Game 6 in the Indy series in 2005 is  my biggest problem here.  Obviously, throwing a headband and getting only one tech can't surpass getting two techs instead of going to the line and sating away the game, but you can't get techs and the end of close games in the playoffs.     

[Steve Weinman]

That foul call just manufactured 2 more free throws for the Hawks and basically took our best scorer off the floor for the rest of the 4th quarter.

That really horrendous foul call manufactured one FT for the guy allegedly fouled, Pachulia. Pierce manufactured the other by childishly throwing his headband to the floor.  The captain of the Boston Celtics has to keep his composure in that situation, regardless of whether a horrible call has gone against him.

There's no way the refs are going to say "Paul's right. When I saw how angry he was and when the headband hit the floor, I realized I made the wrong call, so I'm going to reverse it."

What the ref is going to do, every single time, is the up the player and award a chance for a free point to the other team. If Paul conducted himself properly there and didn't throw the headband (or if he didn't wear a headband, and then would have had nothing to throw), the Cs would have been down only two int he final possession, a way better situation.

The fact that Paul Pierce didn't learn from his disgraceful behavior in the Tinsley incident at the end of Game 6 in the Indy series in 2005 is  my biggest problem here.  Obviously, throwing a headband and getting only one tech can't surpass getting two techs instead of going to the line and sating away the game, but you can't get techs and the end of close games in the playoffs.     

Ka-boom.  Nickagneta loves to say that he gives TPs to those who 'save him the most typing.'  In that vein, TP for you TripleOT...I don't even have anything to add.  Perfectly put.

-sw

[johnnyrondo]

Pierce needs to grow up.  He's developed a habit of acting like a giant baby in the playoffs, and it's not becoming, at all.  It's not so much the media thing, as the stupid technical foul, and the storming towards the Hawks bench the other night.  It bothers me.

What happened to the Paul Pierce that put the team on his back against the Nets?  Why are we stuck with the technical-foul-and-bandage-around-the-jaw version?  What happened?

I still think we should of made the Pierce for Chris Paul trade prior to the draft a few yrs back.

[jay_jay54]

You can't teach maturity,you can't teach certain human behaviors,that seem to be instilled in some,way beyond adolescence.I have known men in their 40's,50's who never grow up,or learn from mistakes of their youth.I guess thats why we have so many men in prisons across our country,a lot of repeat offenders.If stupity and immaturity were a crime,a lot of professional athletes might be locked up.

[wiley]

Of all the things to be upset with during this game, Pierce's mini-tantrum was not really one of them.  I wanted to trade Pierce for about 3 full years prior to landing Garnett and Ray Allen, but I've been very happy with him since.  He's made huge strides.  Yes, it was dumb to throw the head band, but we don't want the Cetlics turning into a bunch of holier than thou saints, either.  That's Doc's job, let the players be their passionate selves without going too far in the direction of things like trash talking, picking up technicals, etc....My instinct in that moment was to acknowledge it was dumb and then forgive him.....probably because too many other things were bugging me worse at that moment.

[SShoreFan]

Let him.


I can care less about what they have to say right now. 



I want them to figure out what is wrong with them.

100% agree.  I don't want to hear any of them talk at this point -- I want them to win.