"MVP(ierce)"

[campybatman]

Ray and KG both make their teammates better, a quality tha Paul hasn't... Garnett MVP, Ray the one who leads the team when KG and Paul are out, one of the player with the better BBIQ I've ever seen in years. Paul it's a great player and the "i'm not Jesus Christ" role gave him alot of benefits.

Paul Pierce hasn't made his teammates better? Wow. I completely disagree with that. To suggest that Ray Allen has done so more than Pierce is shocking to me. Pierce has always been a good passer and has shown a want to to pass more so in the pass few seasons. He's looking for his teammates to a fault this season. I mean Paul, Kevin and Rondo are always looking to create better shot opportunities for their teammates, but yet very few want to even acknowledge this or grant Pierce any credit.

[tlee324]

Paul has consistently made players look better offensively throughout his career. His presence on the floor alone---the attention he receives---already by itself makes other players better.

[sully00]

I think Paul is also a far bigger key to this team's defense than he is given credit for. I am not trying to take anything away from Garnett his individual defensive play, shot blocking, as well as his ability to dominate the defensive glass are absolute key to the defense being effective. But Paul, as well as Posey have far more responsibility in the team scheme and rotations, as well as taking the charges. I can't say this enough while Garnett is what makes this team good, without him we are not a team in the contender discussion, Pierce is what makes this team the favorite, he is what makes this team elite. This will be more evident come the post season.

[ermocrate]

Paul has consistently made players look better offensively throughout his career. His presence on the floor alone---the attention he receives---already by itself makes other players better.

That's the most logical thing I've read in years Obviuosly ANY great player makes his teammates look better on the field, but that's a math work, all-star double teamed means more freedom for other players, PP has been unstoppable most of the times so other teams tend to doube or triple team him... The thing I always been very angry about PP is that after being a great 2nd leader and best scorer(Toine was the leader of this team) he failed to be an MJ and became more of a Kobe, monopolizing the ball and forcing alot of shot, maybe the example of n

[drza]

Re: Boston's 7 - 2 record with KG out. I read an article today that pointed something out: of the 7 teams that Boston beat during that stretch, five were Miami, the Clippers, the Timberwolves, the Pacers, and the Knicks (combined record 106-268).

The Celtics actually played relatively tight games against those teams without KG, winning by an average of 7 points outside of the Heat, (who they beat by 30). The Celts were undefeated against those same 5 teams with KG, but they won by an average of 19 ppg. In other words, it's not that KG's absence didn't make a difference...he just got hurt during the weakest portion of the Celtics schedule when the teams they played were on the whole so bad it didn't matter much.

The Spurs and Mavs were good wins, but even then they got the Spurs at home without Tony Parker. I take nothing away from the fact that the Celtics handled their business the way they were supposed to without KG, and everyone else stepped up to make the statement. But for those that argue that Garnett's absence wasn't noticed or that the 7- 2 record indicates the Celts would still be a good team without KG, I think that line of thought is absurd.

[campybatman]

The Spurs and Mavs were good wins, but even then they got the Spurs at home without Tony Parker. I take nothing away from the fact that the Celtics handled their business the way they were supposed to without KG, and everyone else stepped up to make the statement. But for those that argue that Garnett's absence wasn't noticed or that the 7- 2 record indicates the Celts would still be a good team without KG, I think that line of thought is absurd.

I concur. As I'd said, the media made too much of that 7-2 streak minus Garnett. Regardless, the team should pull together no matter which one of the three All-Stars is out or if two of them is struggling. The only concern is when your team develops a false sense of confidence that they can beat any team without one or two of them. Given that the Celtics are the best defensive team in the league. That might hold some validity but you should never get ahead of yourself in the playoffs. The Celtics are a better team and a tougher team to defeat when all three are in the lineup healthy and playing well.