Paul Pierce -- Threat or Menace?

[Eric Albert <Eric.Albert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think Paul Pierce is a major talent whose heart is in the right place.  But it seems to me that, on average, the team plays noticeably worse when he's on the floor.  (Anyone have the +/- for him this season?)

When Pierce enters the game, the ball starts moving around the perimeter, if it moves at all.  One focus: getting the ball to Pierce.  But everyone in the place knows what's going on, and they defend against it.  No progress gets made.  Time passes.  The wrong people end up taking shots, and those shots are forces under heavy pressure because they're late in the clock.  They usually miss, which often leads to easy twos on the other end.

When Pierce goes to the bench, it's a whole new ball game.  Movement everywhere, of the ball and players.  Cutters.  Pick and rolls.  Pick and pops.  Wide-open shots.  Dunks, even.  Something that looks like basketball.  Team basketball.

-- Eric Albert