I think it's time for Doc to sit the Captain.

[celticslove]

Benching a team captain and a team's highest scorer during a playoff run is juat plain.....let me be nice and say that invading Russia in the middle of winter during a land war is probably a smarter idea.

Not if he is hurting your team. that pierce substitution by doc really had me shaking my head, and i guess we all know what happened after that.

[lrybrd]

Doc should have rode with Pietrus a little further and kept the Capt. on the bench.  Pierce is killing us with these lazy turnovers.  Not sure I'd sit Pierce out a game but I would definitely reduce his minutes until he gets out of this malaise that he is in. 

[csfansince60s]

Doc should have rode with Pietrus a little further and kept the Capt. on the bench.  Pierce is killing us with these lazy turnovers.  Not sure I'd sit Pierce out a game but I would definitely reduce his minutes until he gets out of this malaise that he is in. 

Pietrus is hurt, too, and it's not just the swelling in his knee that was reported previously. For a good part of the 3rd, he was behind the Cs bench, standing up with what looked like an ice pack strapped to his back.

The fact that he was standing most of the time and that he had an ice pack on his back tells me that he has a lot more going on injury-wise than his knee.

[MBunge]

Let's not just restrict this discussion to Paul Pierce.  Ray Allen played 37 minutes last night and had a +/- of -6 while Avery Bradley played 20 minutes and had a +/- of +18.  I know +/- isn't the end all, be all but just look at that sequence described on the front page of Rondo dribbling out the shot clock waiting for Ray to pop free on a screen, only to be forced to fire up a bad shot when Ray can't get loose.

Even if you don't buy that Ray gums up Boston's offense, even when he's hitting shots, what is the sense of playing a guy who's going to need offseason surgery that many minutes?  What good is it to win one game and lose Ray for the next or maybe longer?

Mike

[Fafnir]

Let's not just restrict this discussion to Paul Pierce.  Ray Allen played 37 minutes last night and had a +/- of -6 while Avery Bradley played 20 minutes and had a +/- of +18.  I know +/- isn't the end all, be all but just look at that sequence described on the front page of Rondo dribbling out the shot clock waiting for Ray to pop free on a screen, only to be forced to fire up a bad shot when Ray can't get loose.

Even if you don't buy that Ray gums up Boston's offense, even when he's hitting shots, what is the sense of playing a guy who's going to need offseason surgery that many minutes?  What good is it to win one game and lose Ray for the next or maybe longer?

Mike

I think a large part of the playing time disparity was Avery's injury, otherwise he's on the court more.

[MBunge]

Let's not just restrict this discussion to Paul Pierce.  Ray Allen played 37 minutes last night and had a +/- of -6 while Avery Bradley played 20 minutes and had a +/- of +18.  I know +/- isn't the end all, be all but just look at that sequence described on the front page of Rondo dribbling out the shot clock waiting for Ray to pop free on a screen, only to be forced to fire up a bad shot when Ray can't get loose.

Even if you don't buy that Ray gums up Boston's offense, even when he's hitting shots, what is the sense of playing a guy who's going to need offseason surgery that many minutes?  What good is it to win one game and lose Ray for the next or maybe longer?

Mike

I think a large part of the playing time disparity was Avery's injury, otherwise he's on the court more.

But then, where's Marquis or Sasha?

Mike

[Fafnir]

Let's not just restrict this discussion to Paul Pierce.  Ray Allen played 37 minutes last night and had a +/- of -6 while Avery Bradley played 20 minutes and had a +/- of +18.  I know +/- isn't the end all, be all but just look at that sequence described on the front page of Rondo dribbling out the shot clock waiting for Ray to pop free on a screen, only to be forced to fire up a bad shot when Ray can't get loose.

Even if you don't buy that Ray gums up Boston's offense, even when he's hitting shots, what is the sense of playing a guy who's going to need offseason surgery that many minutes?  What good is it to win one game and lose Ray for the next or maybe longer?

Mike

I think a large part of the playing time disparity was Avery's injury, otherwise he's on the court more.

But then, where's Marquis or Sasha?

Mike

I think Doc views them as defensive subs, the C's couldn't score last night so he wanted Ray out there for his best offensive line ups. (76ers couldn't score either obviously)

[cltc5]

I think it's time for doc to sit on his ego.  2010 game 7.  Gassed vets run straight into the ground with no timeouts-loss.  Last night, ineffectuve vets kept In the game with no energy, while effective energetic players get splinters in their butt or punished for actually being effective.  Ainge needs to wake up and either force doc to be a better coach or get rid of him.  Anyone can be a "great" coach when u have great players playing well.  When that doesn't happen, your coaching is exposed.  Doc is not a great
coach.  Average at best and I'm tired of his ineptness costing the team games!

And I don't Blame pierce as much for bring a turd as I do dic not doin what's best which woulda been to bench pierce!

[Celtics18]

Alright, I've changed my mind.  Don't sit the Captain.  

Paul,

We need a big game back from you back in Philly!!

Doc,

It's time for more Sasha and Marquis.  Don't run Paul and Ray into the ground in this round.  

[cltc5]

No way ... the message that sends is just plain detrimental to everyone on our team, not just Pierce.

It's basically saying that you no longer have much faith in your captain, number one player, superstar, and primary clutch "go-to" guy.

Should he have fewer minutes until he is nearer to 100%? That's a question worth considering.

But you can give a guy adjusted minutes without changing him from the starting position he's had for his entire career.







I'd think this team should be past the point of getting their feelings hurt because they aren't starting.
(That's why I wish Ray were still starting ... I think it would be better for the emotional state of the team, and his minutes can still be cut, if need be).

[Andrew Celtic Nation]

Paul Pierce isn't himself, but as long as we use him as a decoy and not a playmaker we would be fine, he can still make the occassional 3 pointer and get layups by cutting to the basket. The problem is we still want him to make plays but he is too slow and turns the ball over, Rondo should bring it up the court and run the offense with KG. But I can't believe you guys want us to sit Pierce, there is no way we win without him in the game either, his backups are just not good enough this year.

[33-00-32]

Paul Pierce is too old and besides that he is a bully and the dirtiest player in the league!

KG please make sure The Truth gets this message

[Roy H.]

If his doctors say that missing a game and giving him additional rest will likely lead to a significant improvement, then I think Doc should sit him.

If it's likely to be a lingering injury either way, then he needs to play.

[Tai]

This topic simply misses the bigger picture. The Sixers made crazy shots down the stretch, and that is why playing 48 minutes is important; you allow those shots to mean something.

Our offense was just fine with Pierce back in. The problem is, then suddenly the Sixers suddenly started making any circus shot they could desperately heave up on. Someone in this topic even blamed Pierce cause he didn't get close enough to Holiday on his long 3-pointer, as if that's not the shot we want them taking. Considering there was still a bit of time on the shot clock, that would have been considered a dreadful shot if it didn't go in.

[BballTim]

Doc should have rode with Pietrus a little further and kept the Capt. on the bench.  Pierce is killing us with these lazy turnovers.  Not sure I'd sit Pierce out a game but I would definitely reduce his minutes until he gets out of this malaise that he is in. 

  It's a tough call. I wanted Doc to leave Pietrus in the game when he was the only hot shooter on an ice cold team but we've seen too many games where PP/RA played like crap for long stretches and then hit some big shots in the 4th to say that leaving (one of) them on the bench is the right call.