Pierce angry at Doc, blames him for loss

[mgent]

Reading the comments I think some people are misinterpreting Pierce.  He didn't mean "we played great, we should've been in there sooner."  He meant if they weren't thrown in at the last minute maybe they could've built a rhythm.

They were inserted after Cleveland already started the run.  They had ALL the momentum, and our starters had to pick it up from a complete stand-still.  Now momentum isn't always the deciding factor in games, but it's a severely underrated aspect to basketball.  That's why you most often see coaches not screw with the rotation and bring guys back in when they're used to it, THEN if they maintain the lead you can put the bench in at the end.  The guys get the same amount of rest but without the risk of your 2nd unit holding off their starters.

[clover]

Reading the comments I think some people are misinterpreting Pierce.  He didn't mean "we played great, we should've been in there sooner."  He meant if they weren't thrown in at the last minute maybe they could've built a rhythm.

They were inserted after Cleveland already started the run.  They had ALL the momentum, and our starters had to pick it up from a complete stand-still.  Now momentum isn't always the deciding factor in games, but it's a severely underrated aspect to basketball.  That's why you most often see coaches not screw with the rotation and bring guys back in when they're used to it, THEN if they maintain the lead you can put the bench in at the end.  The guys get the same amount of rest but without the risk of your 2nd unit holding off their starters.

You're only digging a deeper hole for the Captain:

"Okay, so I and the other starters all choked, going scoreless and giving up multiple buckets in the last 3 1/2 minutes of the game.  But it wasn't our fault, it was the fault of Doc for not putting us in sooner so we could have played those last 3 1/2 minutes well and it was the fault of the scrubinis that are our bench, for having made us play so poorly those last 3 1/2 minutes of the game."

[mgent]

Look man, that's ridiculous, neither Pierce or I said anything close to that.  He knew they all played badly, he never once made excuses or blamed anybody ESPECIALLY Doc.  In fact they tried to get him to multiple times and he didn't.

He simply said the outcome would've been different, an indisputable fact.  Far from passing blame or deflecting the fact that they choked.  The guy was 8-12 with 5 assists and was wishing he played more with the game on the line.  I hope you don't think that's an uncommon mindset in the NBA.  If he didn't feel that way THEN i'd be worried about his leadership and decision making.

Edit:  It's easy to take his words literally because he was angry and not thinking about how what he was saying was going to come across.  He was just an upset player being forced to answer questions about a game they had no business losing.  He could have shifted the attention to his teammates like Dwight did, but he didn't.  Anyone that knows Pierce and has watched him over the years knows that he always takes the most responsibility for losses and doesn't use any other excuse than "we should've played better."  It's waste of time to try and spin his words around to say otherwise. 

[Bankshot]

Look man, that's ridiculous, neither Pierce or I said anything close to that.  He knew they all played badly, he never once made excuses or blamed anybody ESPECIALLY Doc.  In fact they tried to get him to multiple times and he didn't.

He simply said the outcome would've been different, an indisputable fact.  Far from passing blame or deflecting the fact that they choked.  The guy was 8-12 with 5 assists and was wishing he played more with the game on the line.  I hope you don't think that's an uncommon mindset in the NBA.  If he didn't feel that way THEN i'd be worried about his leadership and decision making.

Agreed.

[Corey]

Pierce was subbed in with a 7 point lead.

Excuses are trash. There's no reason he shouldn't have held that lead.

[Chris]

I can't watch the video, but I hope Pierce is angry at Doc for not putting him back in sooner.  Its just too bad its in hindsight.  I want him to want to be out there.  He needs to be a leader of this team, and he needs to lead by example.

With that said, Doc did the exact right thing.  His team had a big enough lead that he could let it ride out, to keep Pierce fresher.  Pierce should have just closed the game out when he got back in there.  And hopefully Pierce learned from this, and as a leader, when he sees this happening, he goes to Doc and tells him to put him back in.  If he tells him the right way, Doc is not going to say no.   

On a team like this, the coach is important, but they are not the leader.  He is there to keep the players in check, but they are the ones who ultimately control things.  Pierce needs to take that control when he thinks its important.

[Redz]

PP seems to have a valid point...once you get the oponent down, leave the good players in and get the kill.

Doc was "THINKING" to much, about saving his guys ect, and forgot the Celtics had to play out the game for the win.

Maybe.  At the same time, at the start of the 4th quarter the lead was 8.  When Pierce came back into the game, the lead was 8.  The team (with Pierce in there) managed to blow that 8 point lead in 3:42.

I think Paul was right in his initial comments:  defense and turnovers cost them the game.  However, if anybody should be blamed for choking the game away, it's the starters.

Biggest thing I saw was not Pierce being in or out, but when Bradley unexpectedly returned to the game things seemed to grind to a halt a bit.

[Chris]

PP seems to have a valid point...once you get the oponent down, leave the good players in and get the kill.

Doc was "THINKING" to much, about saving his guys ect, and forgot the Celtics had to play out the game for the win.

Maybe.  At the same time, at the start of the 4th quarter the lead was 8.  When Pierce came back into the game, the lead was 8.  The team (with Pierce in there) managed to blow that 8 point lead in 3:42.

I think Paul was right in his initial comments:  defense and turnovers cost them the game.  However, if anybody should be blamed for choking the game away, it's the starters.

Biggest thing I saw was not Pierce being in or out, but when Bradley unexpectedly returned to the game things seemed to grind to a halt a bit.

Yup, and more importantly that he couldn't keep Irving out of the paint. 

The offense is almost always going to struggle at that point, as the other team ups the defensive intensity.  But, if you can't get stops, you are in trouble. 

[mgent]

I can't watch the video, but I hope Pierce is angry at Doc for not putting him back in sooner.  Its just too bad its in hindsight.  I want him to want to be out there.  He needs to be a leader of this team, and he needs to lead by example.

With that said, Doc did the exact right thing.  His team had a big enough lead that he could let it ride out, to keep Pierce fresher.  Pierce should have just closed the game out when he got back in there.  And hopefully Pierce learned from this, and as a leader, when he sees this happening, he goes to Doc and tells him to put him back in.  If he tells him the right way, Doc is not going to say no.   

On a team like this, the coach is important, but they are not the leader.  He is there to keep the players in check, but they are the ones who ultimately control things.  Pierce needs to take that control when he thinks its important.

Exactly, he was angry from a player that has confidence in his game perspective, not from an analytical or if-I-was-the-coach perspective.

[Interceptor]

Not easy to stop a guy like Irving, and some of those shots were kind of ridiculous.

[Celtics18]

Honestly, Pierce seemed a little too upset in that interview.  Wish he would have just taken a pass on speaking to the reporters for the night.  It probably would have been a better move.

Oh well, time to move on. 

[letsgoblue86]

I bet Paul puts up 40 tomorrow night.

[Celtics4ever]

I am sure he doesn't want to go back to being a mediocre team after a few winning seasons.  That has to be frustrating as heck.  What he said was heat of the moment.

Doc is [dang]ed if took them out and they lost and [dang]ed if he plays them too long and they are shot for the next win.  It is a no win scenario.  The home record is disconcerting.

[33_Larry Legend_33]

Doc's biggest mistake was letting Moore guard Irving for too long a stretch.  It was clear that Irving could get to the rim at ease, and that Bradley's defense could have changed this game.  Plus, Moore is NOT a PG...Doc should not have let him play the PG spot during a crucial run for the Cavs when it was evident to all of us Irving was having his way.

Simply put, last night's game was one of Doc's poorer efforts as a coach.  Doc IS partly to blame for this one as he managed that game poorly.  Doesn't mean he's a bad coach by any stretch, as he's not.  But last night he made some lousy decisions at critical times.

[Celtics18]

Doc's biggest mistake was letting Moore guard Irving for too long a stretch.  It was clear that Irving could get to the rim at ease, and that Bradley's defense could have changed this game.  Plus, Moore is NOT a PG...Doc should not have let him play the PG spot during a crucial run for the Cavs when it was evident to all of us Irving was having his way.

Simply put, last night's game was one of Doc's poorer efforts as a coach.  Doc IS partly to blame for this one as he managed that game poorly.  Doesn't mean he's a bad coach by any stretch, as he's not.  But last night he made some lousy decisions at critical times.

I would agree with the bit about Doc last night. Conversely, I felt like all the moves he made in the previous four games were really brilliant.  It's funny how it always seems to work out that way.