Melo VS Paul Pierce

The Main Event · Post #1 » by **The Main Event** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 7:48 pm

Before the Pierce groupies get their panties up in a bunch, let's compare the two before Pierce got KG and Allen beside him.
Would Melo have been able to replicate what Pierce did during this years playoffs?
Would the Celts have been NBA Champs?
I think that they would have had very similar outcomes.
What do yout think?

wigglestrue · Post #2 » by **wigglestrue** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:05 pm

Defense.

/end thread.

hiphop1 · Post #3 » by **hiphop1** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:14 pm

Ah... Pierce can drive to the hoop! Redd just camps out at the three point line.

T-Spot · Post #4 » by **T-Spot** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:17 pm

Kobe's Final Stats

25/5/5/40%

Kobe in the rest of the playoffs.

32/6/6/51%

---

What happened? Paul Pierce wuz there. [Well the Celtics are a great defensive team over-all but Peirce was great].

Peirce also has a more diverse offensive game, IMO.

The Main Event · Post #5 » by **The Main Event** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:18 pm

Ok, so replace Redd with Melo. Would Melo have been as effective as Pierce if he was on Boston?

wigglestrue · Post #6 » by **wigglestrue** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:23 pm

Defense.

/re-end thread.

The Main Event · Post #7 » by **The Main Event** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:28 pm

wigglestrue wrote:Defense.

/re-end thread.

Re-read : "Before the pierce groupies get their panties in a bunch."
Pierce isn't that much better of a defender than Melo. He played great defense in the playoffs when it counts, i'll give him that.

wigglestrue · Post #8 » by **wigglestrue** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:33 pm

The Main Event wrote:
wigglestrue wrote:Defense.

/re-end thread.

Re-read : "Before the pierce groupies get their panties in a bunch."
Pierce isn't that much better of a defender than Melo. He played great defense in the playoffs when it counts, i'll give him that.

Yes, sir, he is.

The Main Event · Post #9 » by **The Main Event** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:41 pm

wigglestrue wrote:
The Main Event wrote:
wigglestrue wrote:Defense.

/re-end thread.

Re-read : "Before the pierce groupies get their panties in a bunch."
Pierce isn't that much better of a defender than Melo. He played great defense in the playoffs when it counts, i'll give him that.

Yes, sir, he is.

Is he really? I'll admit, i'm a noob when it comes to stat hunting. What type of stats would indicate that he is the better defender or are the intangible categories where Pierce is better than Melo ?
As far as i've found Pierce has put up career #'s of: DEF RB's - 5.3, BLK - 0.6, STL - 1.6
Melo: DEF RB's - 4.0, BKL - 0.4, STL - 1.1
Not that big of a big as far as those cats go.

Malinhion · Post #10 » by **Malinhion** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:44 pm

Ok...this thread changed from an obvious decision of Pierce (who will be chosen in any thread right now) over Michael Redd.

Now its the fifteenth Melo vs. Pierce thread in the past two weeks.

The Main Event · Post #11 » by **The Main Event** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:01 pm

Malinhion wrote:Ok...this thread changed from an obvious decision of Pierce (who will be chosen in any thread right now) over Michael Redd.

Now its the fifteenth Melo vs. Pierce thread in the past two weeks.

Who is wearing the Pistol jersey in your avatar? It's killing me. Is it melo?

halfHAVOC · Post #12 » by **halfHAVOC** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:04 pm

LOL @ melo having compareable defense to peirce.

after what allen and pierce did to kobe

their stock has risen defensively.

JordansBulls · Post #13 » by **JordansBulls** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:08 pm

Pierce stepped it up once KG's defensive attitude came to the team. That is what happens when a leader brings a positive philosophy to the team. That is why the Bulls teams were so good because MJ brought that defensive and hard work ethic to the teams.

If Melo played with KG I think he could learn to play defense as well.

wigglestrue · Post #14 » by **wigglestrue** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:22 pm

JordansBulls wrote:Pierce stepped it up once KG's defensive attitude came to the team. That is what happens when a leader brings a positive philosophy to the team. That is why the Bulls teams were so good because MJ brought that defensive and hard work ethic to the teams.

If Melo played with KG I think he could learn to play defense as well.

It's not just KG, or Thibodeau, etc.

Pierce was also a key individual component of the great Harter defensive schemes circa '02.

Whenever Pierce has stepped it up, his defense has been All-Defense-worthy.

Basileus777 · Post #15 » by **Basileus777** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:23 pm

While its true that Melo would probably play better defense is he had KG and Thibodeau instead of Karl, the fact remains that Pierce is the much better defender right now. It would be interesting though to see how Melo would do with a coach that actually preaches defense.

Post #16 » by **tsherkin** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:23 pm

I'm going to be forced to support Pierce's camp here; Melo isn't a horrible defender but he's not as good as Pierce defensively.

Pierce doesn't regularly play at the level he displayed this season or in the playoffs, that's true, but he's also generally suffered from much weaker frontcourts than Melo enjoys. Even though Camby is a tool, he's still a shot-blocking and defensive rebounding presence that aids the Nuggets a lot more than anything Pierce has had before this season.

A.J. · Post #17 » by **A.J.** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 2:42 am

Pierce without question. I dont like a player who doesnt play defense.

celticfan42487 · Post #18 » by **celticfan42487** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:27 pm

Everytime Pierce is on a good team people seem to remeber he is a very good defender.

Read 01-02' year when Celtics had a top 4 fg% defense for the entire season and won on defense, then on offense jacked 3s.

Pierce's big man help? Antoine Walker and Tony Battie... but you're right he wasn't forgoten it's KG that's made Pierce a good defender since he can cover for him. History be damned.

BTW, the celtics that year cambe back from a 20 point defecit to start the fourth... the largest 4th quarter playoff comeback in NBA history mainly because the 01-02 celtics played great defense [it was all about positonal one on one defense, then get the rebound].

Pierce is a better defender then Melo and a better 3 point shooter. He also can draw fouls more easiely. Melo is a notciably better post player then any 3 in the league including Pierce. They are both out of this world clutch though.

As of now I think most would conclude Pierce is a little better overall.

BubbaTee · Post #19 » by **BubbaTee** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:27 pm

Before this year Pierce carried Antoine Walker's fat chucking can to the ECF.

Carmelo has yet to even force a Game 6, despite playing with Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby.

Post #20 » by **tsherkin** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:55 pm

celticfan42487 wrote:Pierce is a better defender then Melo and a better 3 point shooter. He also can draw fouls more easiely. Melo is a notciably better post player then any 3 in the league including Pierce. They are both out of this world clutch though.

Better defender and three-point shooter? Yes.

Noticeably better at drawing fouls?

No.

Career FTA/FGA, FTA/g and FGA/g

Pierce: 0.459, 7.9, 17.2
Anthony: 0.412, 7.8, 19.0

This is a little bit suppressed by 'Melo's rookie season (more impactful because his career is shorter than Pierce's).

Melo was at 8.9 the year before AI arrived, then 8.7, then 7.7. His FTAs have gone down with AI around, maybe because the refs are awarding AI so much. Melo's still playing the same kind of game, not taking more threes.

Their respective draw rates are similar; this year, Pierce posted a DrawF of 15.5% against 'Melo's 13.1%, they are very close.