Paul Pierce / KG / Rondo

[ScoobyDoo]

I don't know if Pierce is still hurt or what but does anybody else feel like he's putting up some pretty uninspired, underwhelming performances?

To be honest I've always struggled with Pierce with this. I know he's one of the toughest, greatest scorers in Celtics history but somehow he just seems detached a lot of the time or like he's not really in there going head to head for us and with the other team.

I "never" get that sense with KG. Often times KG is the only one trying to chase down a guard on a fast break - then I look at Pierce and he's standing around the half court  or the foul line in the back court.

KG just is always working moving challenging anything that comes near him. Pierce, often times in comparison, looks like his feet are in concrete.

Is he just done, injured or what? I mean, if he's not scoring like we're used to him scoring because James is draped all over him - can he go under the boards and get in a fist fight down there to try and help KG out? often times it looks like it's KG and 2-3 Heat players banging for the rebound.

I'd like to see Pierce get in there and get "very" dirty on the boards.

I'm uninspired by Pierce's play - I feel like if he was aat least giving the kind of effort I see Rondo and KG giving, results or not, we'd be much better off.

And what was with him walking down the tunnel to the locker room prior to the game being finished? I thought that was BS as well. You wait for your teammates, greet them as they come off the floor and walk off with them.

Maybe I'm being too harsh - but I just don't see the passion from him. The fist fight will, the to the mat ECF brawl mentality.

Thoughts?
   

[33-00-32]

Often times Paul is being asked to play the other team's best player on D, I think that might have something to do with your interpretation of his effort. I don't think anyone has more heart or bleeds more green than our current captain.

[Celtics18]

I'm not very good at being objective right now, but when I watch Paul Pierce play basketball all I see is fight, grit, and determination. 

That guy is an absolute warrior in my book.  And, that's the Truth.

[CelticsFanNC]

  I don't think he is playing his best basketball because he is more banged up then he will admit.  That's part of what makes Paul Pierce who he is.  

  I may question his shot selection at times and I will call him out if he has a bad game but I never question Paul Pierce's effort, heart, toughness or his desire to win.

[wdleehi]

1)  He is banged up

2)  He has faced two of the best perimeter defenders these past two series.

[ScoobyDoo]

Ok. I know the guy is tough as nails. Probably it's just that KG is so emotive and relentless out there with his D and energy and in comparison Paul looks passive - to me. I don't see him leaping, fighting, swinging and banging under the class like KG.

Maybe the way the two deliver their games are just on opposite ends of the spectrum emotionally but no less in effort.

I'd just like to see the fiery Pierce taking it to the hole and hammering people. He was doing it early in the Atlanta series - maybe he's still banged up with his knee.

Here's hoping for a monster game from Pierce on Friday.   

[Celtics18]

Ok. I know the guy is tough as nails. Probably it's just that KG is so emotive and relentless out there with his D and energy and in comparison Paul looks passive - to me. I don't see him leaping, fighting, swinging and banging under the class like KG.

Maybe the way the two deliver their games are just on opposite ends of the spectrum emotionally but no less in effort.

I'd just like to see the fiery Pierce taking it to the hole and hammering people. He was doing it early in the Atlanta series - maybe he's still banged up with his knee.

Here's hoping for a monster game from Pierce on Friday.   

I'm not trying to call you out here, but did you watch last night's game?  I mean dunking the ball in the lane on pure will when he can hardly get off the floor, battling the all-world Lebron James all night, diving on the floor for loose balls in crucial moments, giving it his all until the refs finally disqualified him for trying to stand up to the King?

Like I said, I may not be seeing things objectively, but I see nothing but heart and toughness when I watch Paul Pierce play.  That seems to be a given, even when all the odds are against him. 

[clover]

He's old and injured. 

Sure, sometimes he doesn't play perfectly for the combination of his talent and the situation, but I never question his commitment or effort.

[Who]

Garnett and Rondo are freakishly athletic.

They can do things from a physical standpoint in terms of multiple efforts on individual possessions that other players can only dream of.

Pierce is one of the those players. It's not a lack of effort. It's that Pierce lacks the physical capacity of a guy like KG or LeBron. He can't cover as much ground (help and recover, outside of his area rebounds, deflections) as they can. It's not a lack of effort. It's physical limitation.

That's not to say Pierce is a bad athlete. He is well above average. He's just not an athletic freak like Garnett and Rondo are.

[ScoobyDoo]

Fair enough, I'm being too hard on Pierce. But as I said, I've always struggled with his on court demeanor and that's because Pierce internalizes his passion. I get more enamored with the KG types where the passion / emotion is on the sleeve.

Don't worry about calling me out, that's what the board is for, different opinions, and I appreciate the feed back.  

[blink]

You know he is guarding Lebron James for most of the game right?  Yeah, that wouldn't take too much effort or energy from him, nah that is an easy assignment.  lol

c'mon.  PP had a great game last night.  Just because every time his body and LJ's body is in contact PP gets the foul, don't believe for a moment that PP is not giving his all.  He is struggling with injuries too.  I thought PP played well last night.  It is just at this point in his career, he is overmatched playing against LJ (which anyone else in the NBA would be too)

I don't know if Pierce is still hurt or what but does anybody else feel like he's putting up some pretty uninspired, underwhelming performances?

To be honest I've always struggled with Pierce with this. I know he's one of the toughest, greatest scorers in Celtics history but somehow he just seems detached a lot of the time or like he's not really in there going head to head for us and with the other team.

I "never" get that sense with KG. Often times KG is the only one trying to chase down a guard on a fast break - then I look at Pierce and he's standing around the half court  or the foul line in the back court.

KG just is always working moving challenging anything that comes near him. Pierce, often times in comparison, looks like his feet are in concrete.

Is he just done, injured or what? I mean, if he's not scoring like we're used to him scoring because James is draped all over him - can he go under the boards and get in a fist fight down there to try and help KG out? often times it looks like it's KG and 2-3 Heat players banging for the rebound.

I'd like to see Pierce get in there and get "very" dirty on the boards.

I'm uninspired by Pierce's play - I feel like if he was aat least giving the kind of effort I see Rondo and KG giving, results or not, we'd be much better off.

And what was with him walking down the tunnel to the locker room prior to the game being finished? I thought that was BS as well. You wait for your teammates, greet them as they come off the floor and walk off with them.

Maybe I'm being too harsh - but I just don't see the passion from him. The fist fight will, the to the mat ECF brawl mentality.

Thoughts?
   

[ScoobyDoo]

Ok, there it is for me, TP to "Who". I see KG flying all over the place. Sometimes it makes me angry when I see KG, who was under the rim fighting for the boards, be the guy chasing down the fast break on the other end with Pierce trailing him.

But you're right, KG is a freakish athlete. I watch him bust for boards and then he's past half court before Bass is even getting wound up to run down the court.

I have to remember that. I've always looked at Pierce and felt he was a very good, bullish athlete with great strength and deceptive quickness and speed, in bursts, but never a run jump athlete. In some ways he's more of a plodder than a gazelle.

I need to remember that because I'll see KG flying all over the court and I'm like "why isn't Pierce doing the same thing...why isn't he putting out the same effort...?"

I just want the win - KG and Pierce just deliver their efforts in very different ways, one not being better than the other, just different.

Again, here's to Pierce's health and to his game...    

[ScoobyDoo]

That's true "Blink". I just really want us to shove it up Miami's keister, big time.

I'm being too harsh on Pierce...

[scaryjerry]

I think despite any numbers they put up last night, no one played that well other than Rondo....I come here and people are saying Pierce and KG were solid, rondo was brilliant and "we still lost" ummm I beg to differ, rondo would get crushed for the type of performances they gave last night, KG was dreadful in overtime, Pierce is flat out not giving the kinda of paul pierce performance we need against LeBron

[CelticG1]

Ok. I know the guy is tough as nails. Probably it's just that KG is so emotive and relentless out there with his D and energy and in comparison Paul looks passive - to me. I don't see him leaping, fighting, swinging and banging under the class like KG.

Maybe the way the two deliver their games are just on opposite ends of the spectrum emotionally but no less in effort.

I'd just like to see the fiery Pierce taking it to the hole and hammering people. He was doing it early in the Atlanta series - maybe he's still banged up with his knee.

Here's hoping for a monster game from Pierce on Friday.   

I'm not trying to call you out here, but did you watch last night's game?  I mean dunking the ball in the lane on pure will when he can hardly get off the floor, battling the all-world Lebron James all night, diving on the floor for loose balls in crucial moments, giving it his all until the refs finally disqualified him for trying to stand up to the King?

Like I said, I may not be seeing things objectively, but I see nothing but heart and toughness when I watch Paul Pierce play.  That seems to be a given, even when all the odds are against him. 

Yeah this confused me after his play last night as well. He did all that you mentioned and hit some huge shots.