Why isn't Pierce clutch anymore?

Big Baby · Post #1 » by **Big Baby** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:07 am

He's been a work horse for the C's all year long and we wouldn't have the record that we have right now without him, but I've never seen Pierce playing so passive and scared at the end of games before this season. Pierce used to be one of the best Go-To guys and was the definition of "clutch," but I honestly don't remember him hitting anything with less than 2 minutes to go in a tight game this season. When his jumpers weren't falling in the past, Pierce used to drive and either score or end up at the foul line but this season, he's always looking for KG for a jumper 20 feet away from the basket. Has anyone else noticed this? This is troubling because even though we're good enough to get away with him playing that way in the regular season, we're not going to get very far in the playoffs with Pierce playing scared at the end of games. Even with KG and Ray on the team, Pierce is still the best scorer, so he needs to step up his game and regain his form as that cold-blooded killer he's always been throughout his career...until this season.

EvadedHavoc · Post #2 » by **EvadedHavoc** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:10 am

Big Baby wrote:He's been a work horse for the C's all year long and we wouldn't have the record that we have right now without him, but I've never seen Pierce playing so passive and scared at the end of games before this season. Pierce used to be one of the best Go-To guys and was the definition of "clutch," but I honestly don't remember him hitting anything with less than 2 minutes to go in a tight game this season. When his jumpers weren't falling in the past, Pierce used to drive and either score or end up at the foul line but this season, he's always looking for KG for a jumper 20 feet away from the basket. Has anyone else noticed this? This is troubling because even though we're good enough to get away with him playing that way in the regular season, we're not going to get very far in the playoffs with Pierce playing scared at the end of games. Even with KG and Ray on the team, Pierce is still the best scorer, so he needs to step up his game and regain his form as that cold-blooded killer he's always been throughout his career...until this season.

Did Pierce use to have KG, Ray Allen And have awesome Role players?

Kaykoose · Post #3 » by **Kaykoose** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:11 am

Pierce is passing up those shots because he has nasty teammates. Its simple really....

Big Baby · Post #4 » by **Big Baby** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:17 am

i know he has better teammates this year, but anyone who's followed Pierce's career knows how clutch he's always been. i'm just wondering where that guy went this year.

Bad-Thoma · Post #5 » by **Bad-Thoma** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:40 am

Pierce didn't use to trust his teammates or the team offense. Now it's part being surrounded by talent and part maturity, he can help someone else get an clean look by drawing attention and playing within the offense.

grantlongforpresident · Post #6 » by **grantlongforpresident** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:41 am

dumb topic. bad big baby.

Truthiracy · Post #7 » by **Truthiracy** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:50 am

Speaking of Big Baby, is he hurt, or just hit the rookie wall?

dwestside · Post #8 » by **dwestside** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:17 am

How's he any less clutch? The two free throws he missed today was the first non-clutch thing he's done ALL YEAR (and we still won the game).

Falstaff · Post #9 » by **Falstaff** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:46 am

Eh, I'll be perfectly happy if I never see Pierce taking a contested fall away or driving into four defenders and coughing up the ball again, thank you very much. I'd rather have the Pierce who's willing to make the important pass than the one that is 75% turnover, 25% big shot.

PPAW4Life · Post #10 » by **PPAW4Life** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 6:21 am

You're not watching the right side of the ball...Paul's main "clutchness" this season has been on the defensive side of the ball.

TheCelticTruth · Post #11 » by **TheCelticTruth** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 6:57 am

maybe we were watching different games, but i saw a stretch in the 4th where no one else was hitting shots and pierce was carrying us in his free throws...seemed clutch to me to keep drawing contact and he only missed two

AlCelticFan · Post #12 » by **AlCelticFan** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 7:04 am

He is still clutch, but even better: now he isn't out there being the *hero*

Who made the clutch pass to Ray Allen when we beat Charlotte earlier in the season.

Clutch means making good decisions, and I think Paul has been making awesome decisions this year.

Man I can't remember Paul taking 4 people head on ONCE this year!

Banks2Pierce · Post #13 » by **Banks2Pierce** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 7:25 am

I know what you are saying OP. He simply hasn't hit the daggers or clutch shots that he used to hit.

The only way I know how to compare this is with myself in beirut (beer pong) When I play with my girlfriend, I always always hit the last shot because I know that she will never hit it in a milllion years. When I play with my best friend that is good at beirut, I hit it at a much lower clip.

Pierce felt he had to hit the shots before, and now he has the teammates that he can trust.

I feel like Billy Madison doing the Puppy Who Lost His Way reasoning.

cisco · Post #14 » by **cisco** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:54 am

Pierce not clutch? :roll:

Um, have you watched the Celtics AT ALL this year. Pierce has been making CLUTCH plays all season.

Pierce is responsible for KG dominating the first Houston game at the end. It was ALL PP who drove and dished every single easy shot to KG down the stretch. KG doesn't dominate without PP's clutch playmaking. The same thing with Baby dominating Detroit. He doesn't do that without PP's clutch playmaking down the stretch. Ray Allen's last second game winners earlier in the season were assists from PP.

Not trying to be rude, the the OP doesn't know what he/she is talking about. Like I said, Pierce has been making clutch plays all year long.

Datruth345 · Post #15 » by **Datruth345** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 11:56 am

PPAW4Life wrote:You're not watching the right side of the ball...Paul's main "clutchness" this season has been on the defensive side of the ball.

i agree

RoyHobbs · Post #16 » by **RoyHobbs** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:57 pm

The OP is on to something, as much as many people want to chastise him.

This season, in situations where it's 1) the fourth quarter or overtime, 2) there are five minutes or less left, and 3) the game is within five points, Pierce is shooting 26.0% from the field. His eFG% on jump shots is .176. Those are terrible numbers, and very un-Pierce-like.

Last season, for comparisons sake, Paul shot 44.3% in such situations, and had a blistering eFG% of .558 on jumpshots. Paul's current numbers are by far his poorest numbers in "clutch situations" in the past five seasons.

He has been very good on his foul shots; prior to last night's game, he had hit 23-of-25 free throws under such criteria. However, his jump shot has been off in a big way.

Next time, before crying out with the reactionary "worst thread ever!!", maybe it's best to at least examine the claims of a poster.

http://www.82games.com/0708/07BOS7E.HTM

cisco · Post #17 » by **cisco** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 1:02 pm

RoyHobbs wrote:The OP is on to something, as much as many people want to chastise him.

This season, in situations where it's 1) the fourth quarter or overtime, 2) there are five minutes or less left, and 3) the game is within five points, Pierce is shooting 26.0% from the field. His eFG% on jump shots is .176. Those are terrible numbers, and very un-Pierce-like.

Last season, for comparisons sake, Paul shot 44.3% in such situations, and had a blistering eFG% of .558 on jumpshots. Paul's current numbers are by far his poorest numbers in "clutch situations" in the past five seasons.

He has been very good on his foul shots; prior to last night's game, he had hit 23-of-25 free throws under such criteria. However, his jump shot has been off in a big way.

Next time, before crying out with the reactionary "worst thread ever!!", maybe it's best to at least examine the claims of a poster.

http://www.82games.com/0708/07BOS7E.HTM

The title of this thread is misleading or at least should be changed. As I have explained above, Pierce has made MANY clutch plays this year. The title should read something like "Why doesn't Paul shoot clutch shots anymore" because he makes plenty of clutch plays.

sam_I_am · Post #18 » by **sam_I_am** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 1:13 pm

Did you watch the Dallas game? Pierce was simply dominant for stretches of the game. At critical points in the game he took over and if he didn't score he drove and dished leading to big baskets.

I have never seen him play better. We are on pace to win 68 games. And when the playoffs come we all know that Pierce can kick it up a notch offensively. How many teams playing at a 68 game level can claim that? Can Lebron step his game up any higher than it is at now? I am not sure. He is playing playoff level ball just to keep his team in the hunt.

Big Baby Burger · Post #19 » by **Big Baby Burger** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 1:41 pm

In one game this season, he missed a pair of free throws and suddenly he's unclutch?

Ugh, I hate the overreacting nervous newbies that have reared their ugly heads this season. Between this and the horrible attempt to nickname everything...

And Roy, shouldn't you be laying in wait for a perceived Doc Rivers screw-up so you can feebly try to justify all of your Doc-hate over the past three years? I swear, any legitimate chance to rip on Doc this season, which have been few and far between, results in a 25 page thread over at Celticsblog. It's painfully obvious where those in charge of that site's forums have made their bed.

JJHondo17 · Post #20 » by **JJHondo17** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 2:13 pm

Huh????????? :confused: