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Re: Is Pierce a step slower this year?

At 06:15 PM 11/15/2003, JB wrote:
On Nov 15, 2003, at 2:20 PM, Kim wrote:
Well I agree he seems a step slower *on offense*
Is Paul being defended in the same way as last season?

Nope, fair point, with defenses having one less decision to make about whether to collapse on him immediately, now that Antoine's gone. Mind you I still think the bigger issue is how he's dealing with it and in some ways making it easy on them with his decision making - holding on to the ball and/or forcing things. While if he keeps playing the way he is and others keep playing the way they are, defenses are going to adjust back, doubling say Baker vs Pierce. Or both, leaving someone else open.

        Two seasons ago, Pierce killed teams that left him open for the
jumper. Last year, he killed them with the drives. Perhaps the defenses
are just adjusting.

He's not even trying to drive on a relatively open lane too often for me to buy defensive adjustments as a reason, though. And he should know enough by now that if the shot isn't falling, if you're the type of player he is then you drive so at least you get a foul instead.

          Also, where Antoine would get him the ball between the arc and the
lane and Paul would have to split the defenders and take a few dribbles
only, to reach the hoop, I'm thinking that he is now getting the ball
further out and some of his defenders may also be playing off him,
giving him the outside shot, which he's not making, to deny him a path
to the hoop.

Sure, you're right about his getting the ball further out more often, although he used to bring the ball up himself some and get it out past the arc before. That was part of why I mentioned not having Antoine to set him up in my original post. And in fairness, it's also why I'm noticing that he's cut down on the really dumb open court turnovers.

So while it probably is some factor, I still don't see that as the main reason he's settling for the outside shot, because he's still doing it with a wide open lane and when he should be smart enough to know it's wrong. I see it more as a bad response to multiple frustrations - the quick outside shot means he gets his shot, he doesn't have to worry about turnovers, the defense doesn't always have time to collapse, forcing things - he's trying to prove something to himself as much as others, he doesn't think he's getting calls he should so why take the abuse, etc etc etc
Kim