Paul Pierce as Smallball 4?

[LooseCannon]

With all the talk of how Jeff Green isn't as good at the 4 as the 3, what about keeping Green as the 3 and making Pierce the nominal 4?  Is it the same thing or different?  82games doesn't have Pierce dropping off that much when they see him in the PF role.

Who would be better off guarding a physical under-sized 4, Pierce or Green?

[Interceptor]

I could see it. Pierce is pretty strong, and he's much more talented than Bass. This would be a pretty situational line-up, though. We're thinnest at SF, so putting both our starting and backup SF on the floor at the same time seems chancy, unless it's a scenario where Lee can handle the other team's SF.

[FatjohnReturns]

Yeah not a bad idea. Pierce is a excellent rebounder and defender. He still would be faster than most PF's and he wouldnt give up too much on the defensive side.

Giving Paul time at the PF would allow you to get both Pierce and Green on the court at the same time. Hopefully now that Doc has the pieces he can force other teams to matchup with us.

[Fafnir]

With all the talk of how Jeff Green isn't as good at the 4 as the 3, what about keeping Green as the 3 and making Pierce the nominal 4?  Is it the same thing or different?  82games doesn't have Pierce dropping off that much when they see him in the PF role.

Who would be better off guarding a physical under-sized 4, Pierce or Green?

If you're playing Pierce/Green as your two Forwards then other teams will put their SF on Pierce and PF on Green as Green is the less threatening offensive player.

So unless for some reason the C's really want the cross-match and like Pierce guarding PFs better than Green its not something that matters.

The same thing happened with Rashard Lewis and Turkolu when Lewis first joined Orlando. So if you play those two guys, Green is your de-facto PF.

[Interceptor]

So unless for some reason the C's really want the cross-match and like Pierce guarding PFs better than Green its not something that matters.

The same thing happened with Rashard Lewis and Turkolu when Lewis first joined Orlando. So if you play those two guys, Green is your de-facto PF.

I expect that the C's would like that match, though. Green is a liability as a PF... defensively. Offensively, he'll probably take the other guy's lunch money. LBJ can't guard Pierce and Green at the same time, for example.

On defense, I've never seen PP play the four at length, but he's a strong guy, I have to believe he has it in him. There's also the issue of rotations: you're not always going to have your man, and a line-up with both of these guys gives you a lot of good defenders on the floor, potentially.

[nickagneta]

If you are talking going true small ball with a three guard line up such as Rondo/Bradley/Lee or Rondo/Terry/Lee, I could see both Pierce or Green playing the 4 spot either KG, Wilcox or Darko playing the 5 spot. But to have Green and Pierce out there simultaneously I think is bad basketball unless you are going big and have Pierce at the 2, Green at the 3 and then a couple of bigs.

[FatjohnReturns]

At this stage in Pierces career can he defend the 2?

[Chris]

At this stage in Pierces career can he defend the 2?

Yes.  Particularly in the C's system, which provides help when it is needed.  Pierce is a very smart defender, and even if he is not as quick as the guy he is covering, he knows how to use his length, and to anticipate their moves to stay in front of them.

Its not something you want full time, but he can definitely do it for stretches.

[Fafnir]

On defense, I've never seen PP play the four at length, but he's a strong guy, I have to believe he has it in him. There's also the issue of rotations: you're not always going to have your man, and a line-up with both of these guys gives you a lot of good defenders on the floor, potentially.

I doubt his defense/rebounding holds up any better than Green's does. I'm remembering Elton Brand/Z-Bo both shoving him out of the way to get a put pack to cost the C's the game when we were forced to go small over the years. (usually injury related)

I don't trust the 82games stats with his PF splits because he played the spot so rarely that as likely as not the other team was also small ball at the time.

[Fafnir]

At this stage in Pierces career can he defend the 2?

Yes.  Particularly in the C's system, which provides help when it is needed.  Pierce is a very smart defender, and even if he is not as quick as the guy he is covering, he knows how to use his length, and to anticipate their moves to stay in front of them.

Its not something you want full time, but he can definitely do it for stretches.

Yeah it completely depends on the 2 guard.

Most guys he can handle, those he can't often wouldn't be able to handle his size either so it'd come out okay in the totality even if he couldn't stay with him off the ball or the bounce without getting help.

[pearljammer10]

I could see it but it completely depends on the match up. I could see Doc getting real crazy and trying a lineup of Rondo, terry, lee, pierce, green. Not often but I wouldnt be surprised to see it. I think it will all depends on who is on the court for the opposing squad.

[LooseCannon]

I don't trust the 82games stats with his PF splits because he played the spot so rarely that as likely as not the other team was also small ball at the time.

I recall them occasionally going with lineups such as Rondo, Allen, Pietrus, Pierce, Garnett because of a lack of big man injuries.

Smallball is a situational lineup that I wouldn't expect them to run out there every day, but it is the sort of thing they might throw out when the usual game plan clearly isn't working.

The think that would really make it work is if Green could recapture his second-year long-range shooting when he was 38.9% from 3, so that the other team's PF may become uncomfortable trying to guard someone all the way out to the arc.

[lightspeed5]

against the heat, at times we will double team lebron with jeff green and paul pierce.

think about that.

[BballTim]

I don't trust the 82games stats with his PF splits because he played the spot so rarely that as likely as not the other team was also small ball at the time.

I recall them occasionally going with lineups such as Rondo, Allen, Pietrus, Pierce, Garnett because of a lack of big man injuries.

  Didn't PP actually play a little center in one game?

[nickagneta]

I don't trust the 82games stats with his PF splits because he played the spot so rarely that as likely as not the other team was also small ball at the time.

I recall them occasionally going with lineups such as Rondo, Allen, Pietrus, Pierce, Garnett because of a lack of big man injuries.

  Didn't PP actually play a little center in one game?

Yes he did. I remember commenting on that in the game thread.