The truth about The Truth- The end is nigh.

[Hidden Eye]

Pierce starting at the 4 isn't going to save the team he just doesn't have that battery anymore. Everytime he plays a single game the battery needs a recharge and unfortunately the next game his battery is never 100%. He doesn't need to start every game regardless non injuries. Porter has to start if this team wants a bright future. Beal is out and that's no excuse. Teams still find a way to win without their full roster.

[FAH1223]

Pierce starting at the 4 isn't going to save the team he just doesn't have that battery anymore. Everytime he plays a single game the battery needs a recharge and unfortunately the next game his battery is never 100%. He doesn't need to start every game regardless non injuries. Porter has to start if this team wants a bright future. Beal is out and that's no excuse. Teams still find a way to win without their full roster.

Data suggests he plays well at PF. He's still shifty and good enough to get by PFs. And I'd rather him guard 4s than 3s.

Like Dat said, we should rest him a game when we have 4 games in 5 nights like this coming week.

[tontoz]

Pierce has been better than I thought he would be. It is just this month that he has really fallen off. Before this month he was playing pretty well i think.

Maybe he just hit the wall or has a nagging injury that he is trying to play through.

[hands11]

I agree Dat... but then you have Gortat, Nene, Humphries, Seraphin, Gooden, Blair in the front court. In essence, that would leave you with Porter starting (I don't think he was ready at the beginning of the season but he is now) and Butler backing up Beal (but he is out). Basically, this team wasn't put together well and has boxed Wittman in (and that didn't take much).

Randy has boxed himself in.

This was never a title team this year.

PP not starting at PF was fine during the year to save him for the end of the year. Has he start the year there he would be even more warn down then he is now. And.. he didn't want to do it for exactly that reason. He as much as said so in an interview early in the year.

But there are tons of line ups they could have done thoughout to grow the talent and the team to get them to the end of the year.

Having PP off the bench throughout the year would have been fine. Same with Nene. The roster isn't perfect and I never expected it to be this year. That are still putting it together but Randy miss managed the line ups. And still is.

This is a better roster then last year ( short of TA being a near perfect fit at SF ) and its better then the year before. I expect next years roster to be either better or near the same but younger. We all know this was a transition year when TA left and Otto wasn't ready yet to step in that void. PP was a temp band-aid while that happens. But in add PP, they haven't seems to get the peaking order ... in order regarding PP, Nene and Gortat and I fell Wall is stuck in the cross fire.

That's why you see what looks like a mess. But a good coach would have worked it out.

Not sure if PP will return next year but if he does, he will be off the bench. And either way, having him here one year was good for Wall, Beal and Otto.

From here. They fight for 50 wins. Another playoff appearance that might be CHI again. And they keep building. They either use that #1 and land the next right piece to replace Nene or they draft a young player and build that way.

But they do it under a top flight coach. Thats the next step they need.

I didn't know Pierce was coach of the team? That's another problem when we allow guys, even if they are vets, to determine how and when they should be played. That's a coach's choice... not the player's.

He played the majority of the season with the Nets at PF ... and did damn well there ... top 50ish player in the league at PF last season. If anything is wearing him down, it's him chasing quicker wings around on the perimeter. He has no business trying to guard a LeBron or Durant at this stage. It's much easier for him to bang with bigger slower bigs that he can out-quick & out-skill offensively. And irregardless he's not playing more than 24-26 minutes a night.

You wanna save him... start resting him when we play 3 games in 4 days or 4 games in 5 days. I thought there have been opportunities for rest that weren't taken advantage of.

Well DAT. First off, I never said PP was the coach. So check that straw man off the list.

Second, in the case of a PP, it is both player and coach when when they nego that stuff before signing them a FA like him. Players do often have a choice where they go..and how they will be used is a part of that.

I'm just reporting what I heard the man say. Me, you, whoever wanting him at PF has nothing to do with it.

That all said, I said before the season started that I expect them to wait until the home stretch to move him to more PF. So if you are going to see it, it would be coming soon.

[hands11]

If Pierce plays the 4, then he should start at the 4. The big reason to play a stretch 4 is to increase spacing for Wall. It doesn't make sense for Pierce to play 4 on the 2nd unit.

A 9-man rotation. Start Wall, Beal, Porter, Pierce and Gortat. Bring Sessions, Butler, Humphries and Nene off the bench. I can understand waiting until Beal gets back before executing the strategy though.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if that is the direction they go. I think those 5 would play well together.

And I bet the offense looks like night and day if they do.

Gotta separate Nene and Gortat. Its painful to watch when both are looking to score. Its better if Nene is defending and passing the ball. Unless its a night has has a good match up and he is dunking and that sets up his mid range. If its a night that the only space he can gain is to lay is up reverse rim off of multiple pivots, that is a night he doesn't match up well and its going to be painful with misses, turnovers, force late passes, etc.

I know there are some stats that support that as one of our better line ups but they can do even better then that and balance the line up a well in the process.

[exculpatory]

Pierce has been better than I thought he would be. It is just this month that he has really fallen off. Before this month he was playing pretty well I think.

Maybe he just hit the wall or has a nagging injury that he is trying to play through.

OP honors Paul appropriately in his first paragraph (future HOFER, champion, tough as nails, clutch gamer), BUT I believe he is jumping the gun. Some geniuses on my Celtics board had him dead and buried in around Jan during his last few seasons in Boston, and then Paul turned it around and started playing like an All Star/All Pro again.

There is no one on earth more disappointed of late than Paul Pierce's biggest fan on the planet - ME! His last 5 games have indeed been dismal.

[/b[b]]HOWEVER:

Even counting the last 5 games, he is shooting close to 45% overall and close to 38% from 3. Before the last 5 games, he was shooting close to 46-47% and 39-40%, respectively. And he had a whole bunch of 19 point games and a bunch of clutch 3s down the stretch.

He should not be playing the 3 exclusively - he cannot defend elite young 3s any longer at age 37 1/2. He and Joe Johnson DRAMATICALLY turned the Nets season around last year with Paul playing at the 4. His shooting efficiency numbers were EXTRAORDINARY, and he held his own on the boards VS the monster 4s. Unless he is hiding an injury (he has done this many times in his career), I think he has PLENTY left to give this team in March down the stretch - if he is utilized properly.

Let's hope I am right.

[Kanyewest]

Pierce has been better than I thought he would be. It is just this month that he has really fallen off. Before this month he was playing pretty well i think.

Maybe he just hit the wall or has a nagging injury that he is trying to play through.

Pierce is also probably missing the spacing that Beal creates for him. In the beginning of the season, Temple was knocking down 3s but has become tentative after his averages have fallen and is often too scared to shoot when the first one doesn't go in. Butler is also slumping- could also be the Bradley Beal effect who often played with bench players.

[FAH1223]

Pierce has been better than I thought he would be. It is just this month that he has really fallen off. Before this month he was playing pretty well I think.

Maybe he just hit the wall or has a nagging injury that he is trying to play through.

OP honors Paul appropriately in his first paragraph (future HOFER, champion, tough as nails, clutch gamer), BUT I believe he is jumping the gun. Some geniuses on my Celtics board had him dead and buried in around Jan during his last few seasons in Boston, and then Paul turned it around and started playing like an All Star/All Pro again.

There is no one on earth more disappointed of late than Paul Pierce's biggest fan on the planet - ME! His last 5 games have indeed been dismal.

[/b[b]]HOWEVER:

Even counting the last 5 games, he is shooting close to 45% overall and close to 38% from 3. Before the last 5 games, he was shooting close to 46-47% and 39-40%, respectively. And he had a whole bunch of 19 point games and a bunch of clutch 3s down the stretch.

He should not be playing the 3 exclusively - he cannot defend elite young 3s any longer at age 37 1/2. He and Joe Johnson DRAMATICALLY turned the Nets season around last year with Paul playing at the 4. His shooting efficiency numbers were EXTRAORDINARY, and he held his own on the boards VS the monster 4s. Unless he is hiding an injury (he has done this many times in his career), I think he has PLENTY left to give this team in March down the stretch - if he is utilized properly.

Let's hope I am right.

I think you are.

I've seen Celtics fans say he was done in 2010. Then he just turns the switch.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

OP honors Paul appropriately in his first paragraph (future HOFER, champion, tough as nails, clutch gamer), BUT I believe he is jumping the gun. Some geniuses on my Celtics board had him dead and buried in around Jan during his last few seasons in Boston, and then Paul turned it around and started playing like an All Star/All Pro again.

There is no one on earth more disappointed of late than Paul Pierce's biggest fan on the planet - ME! His last 5 games have indeed been dismal.

[b]]HOWEVER:

Even counting the last 5 games, he is shooting close to 45% overall and close to 38% from 3. Before the last 5 games, he was shooting close to 46-47% and 39-40%, respectively. And he had a whole bunch of 19 point games and a bunch of clutch 3s down the stretch.

He should not be playing the 3 exclusively - he cannot defend elite young 3s any longer at age 37 1/2. He and Joe Johnson DRAMATICALLY turned the Nets season around last year with Paul playing at the 4. His shooting efficiency numbers were EXTRAORDINARY, and he held his own on the boards VS the monster 4s. Unless he is hiding an injury (he has done this many times in his career), I think he has PLENTY left to give this team in March down the stretch - if he is utilized properly.

Let's hope I am right.

If I were coaching in place of Wittman I would tell Pierce to take a 5 game hiatus. I know he can play. By playoffs expect to be playing more PF. I would encourage Pierce to get some R and R. See family and friends or whatever inspires him. Go to the beach, like PERHAPS Lebron did when he went to Miami a few games back.

Heck, kick it in Hawaii with folks who know good people. Let him get treatment. See you in 10-15 days.....

I would let Pierce lead the lockerroom before he departs, but in a way that is respected.

Exculpatory, Pierce is only human. He's playing SF and the ball is sticking other places. He is 37. Guy plays for Wittman. WALL is 24. Everything is relative.

Pierce is still the MFn TRUTH.

[exculpatory]

I was there tonight.

As I posted yesterday, OP jumped the gun.

Paul Pierce was HOF Paul Pierce. 14 point Q3 was mother **** VINTAGE TRUTH! He ate Barnes alive & then they put Iggy on him.
25 points on 7-11 & 2-4 & 9-9 & 5Rs.
Awesome efficiency. Classic **** Truth.
You saw why he is the 15th leading scorer in NBA history - approaching 26K points.
If this was a serious knee injury on the last play of the game, at least his greatest fan saw him play like the mother **** Truth in perhaps his last game ever.
Nonetheless I am VERY VERY upset.