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

[Meadowlark_Scal]

It IS tie tosit him...at least for MORE often than he has...peitrus was HOT when he pulled him...that has to be one of the most basic ideas ever...get it to the hot hand...and no, i do not mean gatoraid.......pp did nothing good out there....anyone else could contribute something..D....O  and it would be more......he is hurt....and WILL not heal playing either.....

[nickagneta]

 Can we please stop with the "Pietrus was hot" stuff. He hit two shots in a row.

Pietrus had missed 37 of his last 43 three pointers before hitting those two shots.

Pietrus hadn't hit a three pointer in 5 games.

Pietrus had only been shooting 30% from the field over the last 12 games before yesterday.

He wasn't hot...he was lucky.

He's been shooting like crap and it was more likely for him to miss his next 8 shots based on his shooting percentages over the last 12 games than to make his next shot.

[Meadowlark_Scal]

As wekn, all shooter go thru slumps, and in shooter land, the only ones that matter are your last 2...or 3.....this is how we measure a guy who gets hot....Ray, pp all the same...two in a row...then pull the guy...GREAT decision...pull him for a guy who hasn't hit ANY in a row..and cannot defend like peitrus has...why...because PP is injured, and is playing like he is injured...because he is injured......and a bad knee is very unreasonable to a basketball player.

[Meadowlark_Scal]

If we were to base bad shooting on the likly next shots, then PP wouldn't EVER shoot agian..by the same measure....and his last 2 games........

[nickagneta]

As wekn, all shooter go thru slumps, and in shooter land, the only ones that matter are your last 2...or 3.....this is how we measure a guy who gets hot....Ray, pp all the same...two in a row...then pull the guy...GREAT decision...pull him for a guy who hasn't hit ANY in a row..and cannot defend like peitrus has...why...because PP is injured, and is playing like he is injured...because he is injured......and a bad knee is very unreasonable to a basketball player.

Completely disagree with this.

Players are hot for halves or quarters. Not two trips down the court. If Rondo or Perkins or Big Baby hits two outside shots are they hot and should suddenly be fed the ball over and over again?

Of course not. They aren't great outside shooters. And neither is Pietrus. he's average at best and has had a bad shooting season and was on a bad shooting streak. For a player like that 2 straight shots aren't hot. Its luck.


had he hit 3-5 shots in a row from outside over an entire quarter or half, that's different but over a minute span, hitting two shots isn't being hot.

[wiley]

Can we please stop with the "Pietrus was hot" stuff. He hit two shots in a row.

Pietrus had missed 37 of his last 43 three pointers before hitting those two shots.

Pietrus hadn't hit a three pointer in 5 games.

Pietrus had only been shooting 30% from the field over the last 12 games before yesterday.

He wasn't hot...he was lucky.

He's been shooting like crap and it was more likely for him to miss his next 8 shots based on his shooting percentages over the last 12 games than to make his next shot.

"hot" may be too strong... But I disagree otherwise.  When someone hits two 3's in a row in the fourth quarter on a night when the whole team is cold, you might as well let him shoot it once more.  Especially as we aren't sacrificing defense when Pietrus is in the game.  By last night's standards, "hot" might not actually be too strong....

Doc sometimes likes to go against the gut of greater vibe around him....which is the definition of stubborn.  

These Celtics are a great team with heart....I'd like to see Doc use the whole team.

And as to your post just before this one....you could argue not that Pietrus was hot but that he might have been turning a corner back to his usual self, towards what he is known for, in other words, his not cold self...

[wiley]

As wekn, all shooter go thru slumps, and in shooter land, the only ones that matter are your last 2...or 3.....this is how we measure a guy who gets hot....Ray, pp all the same...two in a row...then pull the guy...GREAT decision...pull him for a guy who hasn't hit ANY in a row..and cannot defend like peitrus has...why...because PP is injured, and is playing like he is injured...because he is injured......and a bad knee is very unreasonable to a basketball player.

Completely disagree with this.

Players are hot for halves or quarters. Not two trips down the court. If Rondo or Perkins or Big Baby hits two outside shots are they hot and should suddenly be fed the ball over and over again?

Of course not. They aren't great outside shooters. And neither is Pietrus. he's average at best and has had a bad shooting season and was on a bad shooting streak. For a player like that 2 straight shots aren't hot. Its luck.


had he hit 3-5 shots in a row from outside over an entire quarter or half, that's different but over a minute span, hitting two shots isn't being hot.

Especially over a shorter span could mean he got hot.  I would agree with you more if it were an earlier quarter in the game and Doc wanted to stick to a usual minutes pattern.  But in a game like that in the 4th quarter....you ride whatever it is you might be seeing...

[nickagneta]

As wekn, all shooter go thru slumps, and in shooter land, the only ones that matter are your last 2...or 3.....this is how we measure a guy who gets hot....Ray, pp all the same...two in a row...then pull the guy...GREAT decision...pull him for a guy who hasn't hit ANY in a row..and cannot defend like peitrus has...why...because PP is injured, and is playing like he is injured...because he is injured......and a bad knee is very unreasonable to a basketball player.

Completely disagree with this.

Players are hot for halves or quarters. Not two trips down the court. If Rondo or Perkins or Big Baby hits two outside shots are they hot and should suddenly be fed the ball over and over again?

Of course not. They aren't great outside shooters. And neither is Pietrus. he's average at best and has had a bad shooting season and was on a bad shooting streak. For a player like that 2 straight shots aren't hot. Its luck.


had he hit 3-5 shots in a row from outside over an entire quarter or half, that's different but over a minute span, hitting two shots isn't being hot.

Especially over a shorter span could mean he got hot.  I would agree with you more if it were an earlier quarter in the game and Doc wanted to stick to a usual minutes pattern.  But in a game like that in the 4th quarter....you ride whatever it is you might be seeing...

Doc has seen over and over again in games that Pierce was cold in that he comes in and hits huge 4th quarter shots. He's done it in this playoff season a couple of times already.

What's more likely, Pietrus continuing to hit or Pierce heating up in the clutch?

[Meadowlark_Scal]

You have me wrong...this is all based on the fact that PP is injured...under normal situations...i would still rotate him, but play him in the 4th...but his knee is out, he is 36..so the liklyhod that he takes 2 advil, a 6 pack, and it heals in the morning are way gone....this could be bad for a while....peitrus....starting to look like his hamstring has healed...but, it could've, becasue he hasn't played much...THAT is what pp needs to heal....he is playing just like a guy would who is injured.....and he probably won't give much more until it is healed.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

It's time to give Pietrus maybe more time. He was on in Game 2. It'll probably help Paul. Especially if he can save all that energy on the 4th if somehow the game gets close again. I really wish Doc gives Pietrus some more burn.

[bopna]

As wekn, all shooter go thru slumps, and in shooter land, the only ones that matter are your last 2...or 3.....this is how we measure a guy who gets hot....Ray, pp all the same...two in a row...then pull the guy...GREAT decision...pull him for a guy who hasn't hit ANY in a row..and cannot defend like peitrus has...why...because PP is injured, and is playing like he is injured...because he is injured......and a bad knee is very unreasonable to a basketball player.

Completely disagree with this.

Players are hot for halves or quarters. Not two trips down the court. If Rondo or Perkins or Big Baby hits two outside shots are they hot and should suddenly be fed the ball over and over again?

Of course not. They aren't great outside shooters. And neither is Pietrus. he's average at best and has had a bad shooting season and was on a bad shooting streak. For a player like that 2 straight shots aren't hot. Its luck.


had he hit 3-5 shots in a row from outside over an entire quarter or half, that's different but over a minute span, hitting two shots isn't being hot.

Especially over a shorter span could mean he got hot.  I would agree with you more if it were an earlier quarter in the game and Doc wanted to stick to a usual minutes pattern.  But in a game like that in the 4th quarter....you ride whatever it is you might be seeing...

Doc has seen over and over again in games that Pierce was cold in that he comes in and hits huge 4th quarter shots. He's done it in this playoff season a couple of times already.

What's more likely, Pietrus continuing to hit or Pierce heating up in the clutch?

But he didn't heat up and now we would never know what an additional minute or 2 of Pietrus would have done...

Most of the time I agree with you Nick, but not this time. It truly was a big mistake that doc pulled a hot hand out too early.  I don't think Pop would do such an act because we all know Pop even benches his big three in situational circumstances that benefit his team...Something Doc would never do to his big, old, INJURED three.

[SHAQATTACK]

Never fear...Our Captain shall return.  

[celticslove]

Never fear...Our Captain shall return.  

oh boy i hope so... to break that 2 game slump and not to extend it.

[Geo123]

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.

Exactly, Pietrus is hurting more than Pierce right now.  His minutes have to be monitored even more than Pierce.  There is no other option, PP just has to suck it up and step it up.... 

[Potapenko Boxout]

lol sit him for who? Pierce obviously isnt 100% but i have him comin out WAY more aggressive da rest of this series he's missed a lot of good midrange looks so far so i aint trippin to the extent of some of u dudes

putting in Pietrus is more reactionary from a Pietrus supporters standpoint than it is an anti-Pierce standpoint. Pietrus has sucked this playoffs and has been the definition of a non-factor. throwing him in because he hits two 3's in a game we ultimately lose is reactionary.

You do not sit Paul Pierce. Dance with the lady that brought you and have some loyalty. He will play better tonight