Free Agent Watching is fun, but....

[Coach]

All this free agent speculation is fun, but nobody out there is the key to our championship #18.  Depth is good for the regular season, but what it will all come down to, is wether Pierce still have enough in the tank to carry us in the play-offs.  Almost every championship team has had a guy that can get it done in close games, down the stretch.  When these go-to guys succeed, their teams win.  When they don't their team usually loses.  Pierce is our go to guy.  Any of these free agents that we are courting, including 'Sheed, are not go to guys.  Ray Allen has been that guy at times, but look how far that got us last year.  Paul Pierce has to be able to get to the rim and finish for us to win.  Last year he couldn't do that effectively, and we lost.  I think the chances of success next season will be as simple as that. 

No matter who we sign, next season, Pierce must only play 30-32 minutes a game.  If we must, we should live and die in the regular season with Bill Walker.  Pierce must be fresh and healthy in the play-offs, or we aren't going anywhere!

[celticinorlando]

bill walker isn't good enough to allow pierce to rest that long in games. i know everyone on this board is in love with him but he is a poor defender and has no shot except dunks late in games. he is not the answer at wing. boston doesn't improve the bench they suffer the same fate as last year

[Coach]

bill walker isn't good enough to allow pierce to rest that long in games. i know everyone on this board is in love with him but he is a poor defender and has no shot except dunks late in games. he is not the answer at wing. boston doesn't improve the bench they suffer the same fate as last year

Point is, it doesn't matter if we play Bill Walker or Scal, or TA for 18 minutes a game.  How many Regular season wins will it cost us? 5? 8?  In the end, who cares?  You have to win on your opponents court at some point.  If our "old" stars are playing too many minutes in the Reg Season, then they will have nothing left for the play-offs.  Pierce looked like he was 42 years old at some points last year.  He couldn't go by anyone.  He would take two dribbles to the middle, pick it up, pump-fake 4 times. then throw up a contested jumper.  He need fresh legs when it matters.  That is more important than a few extra wins in the Regular season.

[Fafnir]

bill walker isn't good enough to allow pierce to rest that long in games. i know everyone on this board is in love with him but he is a poor defender and has no shot except dunks late in games. he is not the answer at wing. boston doesn't improve the bench they suffer the same fate as last year

Point is, it doesn't matter if we play Bill Walker or Scal, or TA for 18 minutes a game.  How many Regular season wins will it cost us? 5? 8?  In the end, who cares?  You have to win on your opponents court at some point.  If the our "old" stars are playing to many minutes in the Reg Season, then they will have nothing left for the play-offs.  Pierce looked like he was 42 years old at some points last year.  He couldn't go by anyone.  He would take two dribbles to the middle, pick it up, pump-fake 4 times. then throw up a contested jumper.  He need fresh legs when it matters.  That is more important than a few extra wins in the Regular season.

Seeding is very important and it does matter to have a backup that we trust in the playoffs. Pierce cannot be effective at his age in consecutive 7 game series if he's played 40+ minutes a game. That would mean Ray has to stay on the court whenever he is not and play the 3, which would wear him out as well.

[celticinorlando]

fafnir is 100 percent correct. boston cannot slop together tony allen and bill walker each night at the wing and it not cost them. we need solid back ups like grant hill who you can play 20-25 minutes a night and still get production from. this allows pierce to rest and the celtics to maintain seeding. ray had to match up against bigger guys this year...the bench has to be improved at all areas except eddie

[KungPoweChicken]

All this free agent speculation is fun, but nobody out there is the key to our championship #18.  Depth is good for the regular season, but what it will all come down to, is wether Pierce still have enough in the tank to carry us in the play-offs.  Almost every championship team has had a guy that can get it done in close games, down the stretch.  When these go-to guys succeed, their teams win.  When they don't their team usually loses.  Pierce is our go to guy.  Any of these free agents that we are courting, including 'Sheed, are not go to guys.  Ray Allen has been that guy at times, but look how far that got us last year.  Paul Pierce has to be able to get to the rim and finish for us to win.  Last year he couldn't do that effectively, and we lost.  I think the chances of success next season will be as simple as that. 

No matter who we sign, next season, Pierce must only play 30-32 minutes a game.  If we must, we should live and die in the regular season with Bill Walker.  Pierce must be fresh and healthy in the play-offs, or we aren't going anywhere!

I don't understand your point. You're acting like Pierce is Michael Jordan, and he's going to be the one to put the C's on his back and carry them to a title. Pierce has never been that kind of player, especially at this point in his career. If the Celtics are going to win, they need help. They need a lot of help. Wallace and Hill would be a good start.

[celticinorlando]

sheed and hill would be ideal for boston. it cures all but the PG bench problem

[Coach]

How much did seeding help us last year?  We had home court against the Magic, and did we win?

No, and I submit that a healthy and effective Paul Pierce leads us to that series win.  Even without KG.

My point is, that even with a bench, there are no go-to guys that are going to help us win in the play-offs.  We need Pierce to be healthy and effective.  Paul Pierce is the answer.  Nobody else.  Even if we just managed 50 wins this year, and had 4th seed.  I'd still put money on us, if our starting 5 were healthy, and rested.  If they were, then you could lean on them for 40+ a game in the playoff run.

[KungPoweChicken]

How much did seeding help us last year?  We had home court against the Magic, and did we win?

No, and I submit that a healthy and effective Paul Pierce leads us to that series win.  Even without KG.

My point is, that even with a bench, there are no go-to guys that are going to help us win in the play-offs.  We need Pierce to be healthy and effective.  The Paul Pierce is the answer.  Nobody else.  Even if we just managed 50 wins this year, and had 4th seed.  I'd still put money on us, if our starting 5 were healthy, and rested.  If they were, then you could lean on them for 40+ a game in the playoff run.

It's funny how everyone is using the "Paul Pierce was hurt card" now. Paul Pierce didn't play well, but it didn't have anything to do with an "injruy." Why is it that when Ray Allen has a few bad games in the playoffs he is "old and washed up"? But when Pierce has many, many bad games he's "injured." Ah, only on Celticsblog.

[Coach]

All this free agent speculation is fun, but nobody out there is the key to our championship #18.  Depth is good for the regular season, but what it will all come down to, is wether Pierce still have enough in the tank to carry us in the play-offs.  Almost every championship team has had a guy that can get it done in close games, down the stretch.  When these go-to guys succeed, their teams win.  When they don't their team usually loses.  Pierce is our go to guy.  Any of these free agents that we are courting, including 'Sheed, are not go to guys.  Ray Allen has been that guy at times, but look how far that got us last year.  Paul Pierce has to be able to get to the rim and finish for us to win.  Last year he couldn't do that effectively, and we lost.  I think the chances of success next season will be as simple as that. 

No matter who we sign, next season, Pierce must only play 30-32 minutes a game.  If we must, we should live and die in the regular season with Bill Walker.  Pierce must be fresh and healthy in the play-offs, or we aren't going anywhere!

I don't understand your point. You're acting like Pierce is Michael Jordan, and he's going to be the one to put the C's on his back and carry them to a title. Pierce has never been that kind of player, especially at this point in his career. If the Celtics are going to win, they need help. They need a lot of help. Wallace and Hill would be a good start.

Huh?  Did you watch the '08 playoffs?  He did carry them to a title.  And almost every year, one guy carries his team to a title.

You need a guy who can get the tough baskets down the stretch.  A guy who has both the ability, and the confidence in that ability, to win a game.  And if you haven't watched the Celtics in the last number of years, Pierce is our guy.  Like him, or hate him.

Now, I'm not saying that G. Hill and Sheed wouldn't help this team to another 66 win season.  They would.  And they would take a lot of strain off PP's body.  However, the point, once again is that for us to win, Pierce has to be the guy.  

[celticinorlando]

we didn't win because WE HAD NO BENCH! that is our point...the bench has to be overhauled so pierce and co can have something left in the tank. if tony allen and walker were the answers then they would have been able to rest PP last season...they are not the answers..

[KungPoweChicken]

All this free agent speculation is fun, but nobody out there is the key to our championship #18.  Depth is good for the regular season, but what it will all come down to, is wether Pierce still have enough in the tank to carry us in the play-offs.  Almost every championship team has had a guy that can get it done in close games, down the stretch.  When these go-to guys succeed, their teams win.  When they don't their team usually loses.  Pierce is our go to guy.  Any of these free agents that we are courting, including 'Sheed, are not go to guys.  Ray Allen has been that guy at times, but look how far that got us last year.  Paul Pierce has to be able to get to the rim and finish for us to win.  Last year he couldn't do that effectively, and we lost.  I think the chances of success next season will be as simple as that. 

No matter who we sign, next season, Pierce must only play 30-32 minutes a game.  If we must, we should live and die in the regular season with Bill Walker.  Pierce must be fresh and healthy in the play-offs, or we aren't going anywhere!

I don't understand your point. You're acting like Pierce is Michael Jordan, and he's going to be the one to put the C's on his back and carry them to a title. Pierce has never been that kind of player, especially at this point in his career. If the Celtics are going to win, they need help. They need a lot of help. Wallace and Hill would be a good start.

Huh?  Did you watch the '08 playoffs?  He did carry them to a title.  And almost every year, one guy carries his team to a title.

You need a guy who can get the tough baskets down the stretch.  A guy who has both the ability, and the confidence in that ability, to win a game.  And if you haven't watched the Celtics in the last number of years, Pierce is our guy.  Like him, or hate him.

Now, I'm not saying that G. Hill and Sheed wouldn't help this team to another 66 win season.  They would.  And they would take a lot of strain off PP's body.  However, the point, once again is that for us to win, Pierce has to be the guy.  

Pierce wasn't "the guy" when the C's won the championship. That is a common misconception. Anyone who was watching would have clearly saw it was one of the greatest TEAM efforts. Pierce had one brilliant game where he dueled Lebron. But, other than that, his overall playoff performance that year was much like this year's. The idea that Pierce goes out and has superhuman performances (game 7 against Cleveland) just isn't true. He's rarely the best player on the floor, which you would have to be in order to be "the guy".

[jdpapa3]

we didn't win because WE HAD NO BENCH! that is our point...the bench has to be overhauled so pierce and co can have something left in the tank. if tony allen and walker were the answers then they would have been able to rest PP last season...they are not the answers..

It's possible that the whole "no bench" thing is overrated when you consider that we almost took out Orlando in Game 6 with no KG.

[celticinorlando]

well you add some pieces on the bench and they prolly take orlando out in game six. but when you get only one big game from one bench player in the semifinals..something is wrong. there is a reason they had to play PP and ray with the bench...

[Coach]

we didn't win because WE HAD NO BENCH! that is our point

So...In your logic, someone G.Hill, etc. coming in to play 8 minutes a game is going to win us a championship?  Because I can guarantee, if Pierce is healthy, he will play 40 minutes a game in the playoffs.  LeBron played 41.4, and Kobe played 40.8.