Will the real Paul Pierce please stand up?

[guava_wrench]

To all Pierce lovers (including myself), pierce had only 1 1/2 games that he played on his level. Just keep wondering when will he get it together. He's making Sal-Man look like an All-star. I'm sure finals MVP can do a better job.

Will the real Paul Pierce show up for Game7?

Pierce is playing almost exactly the way he did last year in the playoffs.

In round 1 against ATL last year he had 1 - 2 good games and several average/below-average games.

In round 2 against Cle last year he had 1 all-world game, 1 good game, a couple of average/below-average games and 3 or 4 pretty bad outings.

In round 3 against Detroit he had 3 good games, 1 average game and 2 pretty bad games.

In the Finals against the Lakers he had 1 all-world game, 2 or 3 good ones, 1 or 2 average ones, and a pretty bad one.

People tend to remember Pierce's explosions and try to project that memory like it happened on a game-to-game basis last year...but it didn't.  Pierce's forte now is not to carry the team on a nightly basis in the post-season.  That's what KG was for last year, and what Rondo/Allen have been for this year.  Pierce is going to have his average/poor nights, but his strength is to have that one huge game every so often where he just dominates...and he has a knack for having those games at the best possible time.  The same thing is true within any given game...he's likely to have his down periods, but he'll generally have 1 or 2 key stretches where he's brilliant and those stretches will often coincide with crunchtime.

So to me, the real Pierce HAS stood up this postseason.  This is exactly who he is.  And if he continues with his general form, I'd expect Saturday to be one of those games where he tries to put up an All-World performance because this is the time where he generally shines.

TP.

Nice reality check.

[TheReaLPuba]

You guys are all complaining about offense and the last shot.

We're the Boston Celtics we should not be worrying about a "last shot" against a 7th seed team.

This game was over at 98-91 after us being down 12 at around the 10 min. mark of the 4th. We went on an 18-0 run and then we didn't play defense. We miss 2 free throws and let Brad Miller hit a 3 and score down the lane to get them back into the game.

Brad Miller, Hinrich, and John freakin Salmons went off against us and we made them look like All-Stars!

Our bench may be horrendous and probably will not be able to score but they must put in the defensive effort to not let their 2nd unit score.

[elcotte]

What I'm getting tired of is all the posts complaining about Pierce's performance.

I'm not sure how many times people have to be reminded that we haven't had a competent 3 behind him off the bench ALL SEASON. We'e asking him to play minutes at such a level in this series that it's simply inevitable that his performance will fall off. Criminally high minutes.

Roy's right, however. It's inexcusable to have the ball out of Ray Allen's hands last night down the several stretches of the game. Absolutely inexcusable. The execution last night isn't something I'm worried about. It's the mental mistakes - including a couple of by Pierce - that concern me, but they're inevitable when you're playing 5 on a full ballclub.

We don't have a bench. Nothing. What have we played now? Seven OTs in this series? If you can't see the correleation with uneven play on the floor, I don't know what to tell you.

Sorry but no. It's not the minutes he's playing, it's the way he is playing. Agree that he is trying to be hero when he doesn't need to.
And about the bench...it is playing. Baby has been forced into a starting role when he was either 1 or 2 off the bench. Leon being the other 1 or 2 and he's hurt.
Last nights issue was more of Pierce and Rondo not playing to their normal capabilities.

[perks-a-beast]

I don't know if i would choose any other player in the league to be on my roster in game 7 than Pierce. He was made for game 7's. Plus, Redemption will be on his mind on saturday after giving up that idiotic foul on noah.

[Change]

Pierce ego needs a wake up call. Ray is the man right now, so give him the ball. He failed twice, especially the 1st OT Ray was wide open. Then gets a brain fart in the 3rd OT with a turnover followed by And1.

Check your Ego pierce. And Ray Allen needs an Ego.

[Bankshot]

The real Paul Pierce is real tired right now and can barely stand up.

[cornbreadsmart]

it would be great if pierce could see all the doubters and haters here. maybe it would motivate him. look, it's probably not our year,right? at some point it will end and pierce could very well be the guy who takes and misses the last shot/s. but i'm willing to bet he proves people wrong here one more time.

[BigAlTheFuture]

it would be great if pierce could see all the doubters and haters here. maybe it would motivate him. look, it's probably not our year,right? at some point it will end and pierce could very well be the guy who takes and misses the last shot/s. but i'm willing to bet he proves people wrong here one more time.

Yes. We were all asking the same question last year after the Atlanta series.

"What happened to Paul?"

Every body can tell the guy is gassed and exhausted. But he is still working his butt off out there. He's putting up some pretty good numbers and won game 5 for us.

[Jon]

Good points here. 

PP has had some good moments, but he's clearly exhausted.  This is what drives me crazy about this series.  The Bulls will come out of this series regardless of the outcome with people thinking they're an elite team: they're not. 

They're a number 7 seed who wouldn't have made the playoffs in the West and who would've gotten swept by the C's with a healthy Garnett (and would've gotten swept by this team if a couple bounces or calls went the other way).  I admire the Bulls grittiness, but the closeness of the series has much more to do with a tired Paul Pierce and an absent Kevin Garnett than anything the Bulls have done. 

[Spfldkid]

I say it is PP's ego, and docs lack of control......PP needs to know when he is on and when he isn't.....we don't need the 1 on 1 hero stuff, we have options still, especially when ray is hitting like that......Ray should have taken all those last shots, hey PP got to do it last game....Remember paul everyone gave up their hero mode to be a team here.....and Doc shopuld have called a ray-play,,,come on, he is crazy good shooting, running, 3 pointers...everything, get him the ball set him a pick,,,i think pp was hurt, or jealous......fix that stuff doc..

[LB3533]

If the Bulls use Hinrich on Paul again, then Doc needs to set Paul up down on the box so Paul can have one dribble and make a move to the cup.

If Paul is ISO-ing 15-17 away from the hoop, Hinirch has the advantage.

[Change]

If the Bulls use Hinrich on Paul again, then Doc needs to set Paul up down on the box so Paul can have one dribble and make a move to the cup.

If Paul is ISO-ing 15-17 away from the hoop, Hinirch has the advantage.

Great point.

You just wonder if Doc even knows Pierce's height advantage. Lucky for us Vinny is a rookie coach, clearly Doc didn't prepare his team enough.

[albas89]

The real Paul Pierce is real tired right now and can barely stand up.

Agreed! I don't think he's gonna have a BIG game 7, he's totally exhausted...

[KungPoweChicken]

I say it is PP's ego, and docs lack of control......PP needs to know when he is on and when he isn't.....we don't need the 1 on 1 hero stuff, we have options still, especially when ray is hitting like that......Ray should have taken all those last shots, hey PP got to do it last game....Remember paul everyone gave up their hero mode to be a team here.....and Doc shopuld have called a ray-play,,,come on, he is crazy good shooting, running, 3 pointers...everything, get him the ball set him a pick,,,i think pp was hurt, or jealous......fix that stuff doc..

Agreed, Paul tires to play hero way too much.

[housecall]

If they make it to the next round,what/how much do they have left to give..Paul,Ray both have been overworked... like coachbo mentioned manangement didn't bring in a backup 3 for Paul.D.Howard has gotten some extra rest from suspension,and will be fresh.