What's up with Pierce?

[CapnDunks]

Sorry if this has already been posted. But what on earth is going on with PP? I know he played pretty well for most of game one. But he's being guarded by Felton and Shumpert and not going off. That should be a joke.

He ate Shumpert alive last season(pre ACL tear).

I thought Pierce looked burnt.out. in game 2. Hit a few pull-ups early on and then fell off and completely out of his groove. Too much driving and hoping for fouls. Although to be fair, he definitely wasn't getting calls.

Do you think he hurt beyond just being banged up? or just two off offensive games?

[kozlodoev]

At this stage of the season, I'm surprised he can stand up straight for a full game, given his age.

[LB3533]

Pierce is not getting the benefit of the whistle.

[bobbyv]

We're asking Pierce to do something he did 6-7 years ago at his current age, which is carry the team. He's tired.

[Celtics18]

I think he looked a little gassed in the second halves of both the first two games.  He can't carry the team by himself, and he's not really getting enough help on the offensive end from anyone else on the team.  KG and Jeff Green have to step up back in Boston and take some pressure off Paul, or we are going to be in big trouble. 

[droopdog7]

Pierce is old.  He simply cannot carry a team consistently anymore.  That simple.

[pearljammer10]

He looks like a second year player out there, bobbling the ball, dropping passes, dribbling off his foot.

Looks rattled and tired yet statewise he is still putting up fairly decent lines. Its tough when he is the only player performing "well".

[LB3533]

Paul's 3 ball is not working right now in the playoffs.

Can't expect Paul to set up our offense and then rely on him to be our go to scorer late in games.

Toine used to set up the offense for us back in the day, allowing Pierce to solely focus on scoring.

[dark_lord]

he is 35 and is asked to handle a the "set up" role, as none of our "point guards" can do their jobs. 

[CapnDunks]

I don't care how old or tired he is. I refuse to believe that he can't shoot over Felton at will. I've seen him shoot over plenty of better defenders this season with less of a height advantage. Felton on Pierce is a huge mismatch of the type I'm used to seeing him exploit in his sleep.

What's Felton? 6 2? 6 1? and 200 pounds? It's painful.

[CelticConcourse]

He has been shooting over the top

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

People keep saying Paul can't carry the team by himself, which is true, yet the Pierce iso continues unabated. Somebody's not getting the memo.

[ManUp]

Part of it is age, but Felton has been pushing him pretty blatantly off the spot with no calls, IMO.

[Boris Badenov]

People keep saying Paul can't carry the team by himself, which is true, yet the Pierce iso continues unabated. Somebody's not getting the memo.

Unfortunately, it could simultaneously be true that (a) Pierce can't carry the team, and (b) the Pierce iso is still one of our best offensive options.

This says more about how poor are our other options than anything else, I think.

[esel1000]

At this stage of the season, I'm surprised he can stand up straight for a full game, given his age.

Same honestly. Pretty sure he's been playing injured all year as well (pinched nerve). This is exactly why I laughed when people thought we'd be fine in the playoffs without Rondo. Such a joke... playoffs is a whole different level of basketball and PP and KG are not at a point in their lives where they can carry teams through these games. We weren't winning it all regardless even with Rondo (since he can't carry the team alone either) but I'm not shocked that the prospect of making it out of the first round is this bleak without him. Who didn't see this coming?