Re: Paul Pierce

[Kim Malo <kimmalo@mindspring.com>]

At 09:42 AM 5/22/02 -0400, you wrote:
>I was looking at Pierce shooting free throws and realized that Tom 
>Heinsohn was exactly right in pegging the problem.  When Pierce leans 
>back, even a bit, he misses every time.  When he leans into the shot, or 
>at least stands relatively straight, he hits them.

Well FWIW, if further confirmation helps, Max was saying more or less the 
same on radio.

>As to his comments that no one can guard him, etc., I think that might 
>have been deliberate strategy, to get the Nets to focus on him and either 
>get him to the line or open up the Celtics offense.  The only problem is, 
>Pierce is suddenly shooting Shaq-like percentages at the line.  No, it 
>won't be that way forever, but hey, we only get seven games to put the 
>Nets away and reach the Finals.

Could be but in all honesty I think he said it simply 'cause he believes it 
and is young enough to say first, think later (although he still might have 
said it if he did) And in fairness (can't recall if it was here or on the 
Cs ng someone was pushing this idea) I don't think that saying it put too 
much pressure on him to back it up, causing subsequent problems As his 
problems early in the Philly series show, he sometimes gets just too wound 
up and excited in general (although the one similarity with Philly and not 
with Detroit is the existence on both teams of a more established flashy 
league star and MVP candidate, making me wonder if that's part of what's 
setting him off).

>I think that game 2 bears out Coach O'Brien's assertion that the C's 
>defense will be the key to advancing.

No question.

Kim