Jason Whitlock Praises Pierce, Blasts KG

[Truthiracy]

Knee jerk reaction time!

[GuyClinch]

KG is playing his game. He has always been a guard in a center's body.. It's not a problem. KG like PP is versatile that he can slash some, shoot from the outside and post up.

It's important that he mix things up a bit - and he had an off game. I also think he jumpers "can get him going" and his game usually opens up more if starts off hot.

But there is NO WAY he should be passing up open outside Js for no reason. He is money on that shot.

I think this column was off-base even though it praises PP. Even greats have bad games.

Pete

[Athanacropolis]

KG is playing his game. He has always been a guard in a center's body.. It's not a problem. KG like PP is versatile that he can slash some, shoot from the outside and post up.

It's important that he mix things up a bit - and he had an off game. I also think he jumpers "can get him going" and his game usually opens up more if starts off hot.

But there is NO WAY he should be passing up open outside Js for no reason. He is money on that shot.

I think this column was off-base even though it praises PP. Even greats have bad games.

Pete

Good points Pete, especially your last two paragraphs. Bird and Russell and Magic and Wilt all certainly had their stinkers. As have MANY others who've won the Finals. It's not like every player from the previous generations played flawless ball every game. Crucifying KG over this--when his team won, no less!--is a bit odd, although Whitlock does make some good points.

[Gomes3PC]

Whitlock does make many good points. We all have said it repeatedly, asking Garnett to take more shots in the paint. His eFG in the paint is over 70% for cryin' out loud! That's Dwight Howard/Shaq-like. However, when his jumper his falling it is a real dagger for opponents. It's a total bailout shot for a struggling halfcourt set. Get it to KG, let him take a dribble or two, and fire away. It's a near-unblockable shot because most big men are too afraid to get close to him outside for fear he will drive past them for a dunk.

The one thing I didn't like was that he called Powe 'unskilled'. Now, I know Whitlock knows next to nothing about Leon, but Powe is actually an incredibly skilled scorer. You don't lead the Pac 10 in scoring by accident, and if not for a couple knee injuries he'd have been a top 20 pick, if not a lottery pick.

For those saying PP and KG are joint leaders, I agree to some extent. However, a few points. One, Posey is just as big an influence in that lockerroom right now, if not bigger. The fact that he can point to his ring and remind people how the Heat came from DOWN 0-2 to get a ring can certainly motivate guys not to ease up. I'm sure that was a key point he made after the game to his teammates.

Second, while KG might get everyone amped up to play intensely for the first 40 minutes of a game, that whole team- including KG- now looks for Pierce for The Truth in the waning minutes. It might've taken 13 playoff games for the Big Three and Doc to realize it, but Paul is the leader of this team because he is the guy with whom you rest the fate of your team in the waning minutes. He is the one getting iso's, taking FTs, and even defending the other star wing in the last two minutes. And because of this, and because he has continued to show up HUGE at the end of games, Pierce is the leader of this team.

Some people said Pierce didn't know about Celtic Pride before the playoffs started. Well, we might only be halfway to a ring, but I think Pierce has shown mightily already that he knows what it means to play for the white and green. You know Paul will be there at the end of the game. It is up to him and his other dozen teammates to make sure we give him a chance to prove it once more in the 4th quarter of these next 3 games in LA.

[GuyClinch]

Whitlock does make many good points. We all have said it repeatedly, asking Garnett to take more shots in the paint. His eFG in the paint is over 70% for cryin' out loud! That's Dwight Howard/Shaq-like. However, when his jumper his falling it is a real dagger for opponents. It's a total bailout shot for a struggling halfcourt set. Get it to KG, let him take a dribble or two, and fire away. It's a near-unblockable shot because most big men are too afraid to get close to him outside for fear he will drive past them for a dunk.

No - it's not "Shaq Like".

The majority of KG's shot's in the paint are things like easy alley opp dunks, follow up dunks, fast break dunks, and slashing layups..
It's this kind of messed up logic which makes people think Desanga Diop can be a force in the low post.

He has some nice fallaway moves down there in the post but I doubt he hits it at 70%.

Pete

[Fencer reregistered]

Whitlock was over-harsh on both Pippen and KG.

That said -- KG's defense has certainly been pretty good, given how little success Kobe has had inside or Odom has had anywhere. On the other hand, Gasol has eaten up the Cs for long stretches, KG included. Should we hold that against him?

I'm thinking no; it's simply some great play by Gasol. Just look up some time Wilt's numbers vs. Russell to see how a great defender doesn't totally shut down a great scorer ...

[Rondo_Fan]

Why are people complaining

This is why:

Without a doubt, Pierce has been the MVP of the Celtics so far in the series, and carried the bulk of the load.

People have an agenda where they think that Pierce should be the MVP of the finals. They switched to this agenda after he got zero recognition for MVP of the league, while KG got a lot of recognition for MVP of the league and ended up winning defensive player of the year.

Personally, if I had to vote for finals MVP right now I would vote for Pierce. He wins it outright from KG, but the stats are not as far apart as people think.

Two game totals:

Points

PP = 50
KG = 41

Rebounds

PP = 8
KG = 27

Assists

PP = 10
KG = 6

Turnovers

PP = 8
KG = 5

In most other statistical categories they are virtually tied.

So Pierce has scored more and had more assists, but most people seem to be attributing our two-nothing series lead to defense and rebounding.

Again, Pierce wins it outright in my mind at this point in time, but it is not a slam dunk. And there is an element of "long time service award" in my thinking. I'd be happy with KG as defensive player of the year and PP as finals MVP for nice bookends to our season.

[sully00]

Just to make something clear hear Gomes3PC is absolutely correct about Garnett's effectiveness in the paint
http://www.82games.com/0708/07BOS11A.HTM
He is 72% on his "inside" attempts though it is only 27% of his offense and there in lies the rub.

KG is a great shooter and may well be the second most talented offensive big man in the game behind Amare, who no matter what you may think is the standard bearer as far as balanced post play and effective jump shooting.

All of the excuses and explanations for why KG plays the way he does are valid - in game 62 against the Bucks. But that is not were we are right now. This is the NBA Finals, this is KG's chance to put to bed all of those demons that have haunted him. But to do that he has to be Kevin McHale, he has to take it. That is Pau Gasol down on those blocks not Rasheed or Ben. He doesn't have to score 40 I don't even care that the attempts come in the paint but our offense is just so much better when he touches the ball with a foot in the lane.

That is going to help get Ray off as well as Paul, he has done it in these playoff hell he was doing it in the first half of game 1. But Gasol blocked his shot and now he seems to double clutch before going down low, thinking a little bit. This isn't about good enough this about being great. You can say a lot of things about Kobe but I guarantee you this he is not going to roll over. KG has to be great on both ends to close them out.

[chakdaddy]

Generally speaking Whitlock is kind of a twit. In a recent column he said the NBA likes the Celtics and Lakers partly because they don't have many tattoos, that you wouldn't want a bunch of tattoos on a swimsuit model, and that like a swimsuit model it is an NBA player's job to look good...

Very, very strange.

[Gomes3PC]

Whitlock does make many good points. We all have said it repeatedly, asking Garnett to take more shots in the paint. His eFG in the paint is over 70% for cryin' out loud! That's Dwight Howard/Shaq-like. However, when his jumper his falling it is a real dagger for opponents. It's a total bailout shot for a struggling halfcourt set. Get it to KG, let him take a dribble or two, and fire away. It's a near-unblockable shot because most big men are too afraid to get close to him outside for fear he will drive past them for a dunk.

No - it's not "Shaq Like".

The majority of KG's shot's in the paint are things like easy alley opp dunks, follow up dunks, fast break dunks, and slashing layups..
It's this kind of messed up logic which makes people think Desanga Diop can be a force in the low post.

He has some nice fallaway moves down there in the post but I doubt he hits it at 70%.

Pete

Garnett's eFG in the paint = 72%
Diop = 55%
Howard = 66.4%
O'Neal 2005-2006 eFG (Heat championship year) = 68.6%

Garnett's eFG is not amazing just because of alley oops and dunks. If it were, Diop would have just as good an eFG. Garnett's eFG is through the roof because he is WAY too quick and too long for nearly everyone in the NBA, and on nearly every shot he takes down low, he can just lay it off the glass for an easy bucket.

Not saying he has to do it 50% of the time, but I would love to see him do it more than 24% like he is now. For example, just two years ago he was at 30% in the paint vs. jumpers and his eFG in the paint was an impressive 67%. Even just that 6% would make a difference, just 1-2 more times a game taking it inside than settling for a jumper.

Link for 05-06 stats:
http://www.82games.com/0506/05MIN14A.HTM

[sully00]

Generally speaking Whitlock is kind of a twit. In a recent column he said the NBA likes the Celtics and Lakers partly because they don't have many tattoos, that you wouldn't want a bunch of tattoos on a swimsuit model, and that like a swimsuit model it is an NBA player's job to look good...

Very, very strange.

He is not a twit at all he is rather smart man very concerned about the image of african americans in pro sports. It is in his view and a rather apt one that pro sports is one of the few industries african americans tend to dominate, and these are extremely high paying high profile jobs and not ones the community should be willing to fritter away with the likes of Pacman Jones and Cedric Benson. It is a business and they are selling a product and corporate America wants their pitch men to look like Michael and Tiger not like they just walked out of prison. Kobe, Ray, KG, and Pierce have also done a great job of embracing that concept and Paul has shown the ability to do it while maintaining a connection to the streets he came form and is very likely two wins from huge advertising star.

[GuyClinch]

Garnett's eFG in the paint = 72%
Diop = 55%
Howard = 66.4%
O'Neal 2005-2006 eFG (Heat championship year) = 68.6%

Diop's inside number is 63%

http://www.82games.com/0708/07DAL18A.HTM


Andris Biedrins
http://www.82games.com/0708/07GSW15A.HTM

Clocks in at 67%

KG

http://www.82games.com/0708/07BOS11A.HTM

is at 72%


I don't know where your getting your numbers - and I don't really care. My point is those numbers don't account for shot selection. I play hoops. I shoot very well inside the paint? Why? because I only take bunnies in the paint.

KG isn't a low post force. He can do some damage there but it's a small part of his offense out of necessity.

Pete

[tlee324]

These numbers are all fine and dandy, but looking at how he actually plays, there are people like myself who SEE that when he DOES go inside with a purpose to score, he does so very well. He simply doesn't do it enough. That is pretty much all we need to get out of those stats, really.

[Fencer reregistered]

Let's make it simple.

KG is strong enough as a post player that, unless teams adjust, he'll murder them when he goes inside.

KG is weak enough as a post player that those adjustments are possible.

I'd like to see the Lakers be forced into those adjustments ...

[e in boulder]

Whitlock's the one who should be ashamed of himself.

[GuyClinch]

KG is strong enough as a post player that, unless teams adjust, he'll murder them when he goes inside.

He murders teams from the outside as well with his usually unstoppable mid range jumper that forces post defenders outside the paint. KG just had a bad night..

Pete