Same as it ever was

[Berry, Mark S]

Definitely not rebounding.

The assist numbers people throw around are meaningless. We've watched
dysfunctional basketball for so long that we've stopped recognizing it.
Believe it or not, the only way to play the game isn't: "Give the ball
to Pierce and let him score or pass to someone else." That's the way we
play. That's the way we've played forever. Obie gave birth to this
thinking and it seems to me that Pierce has embraced it as the only way
he's willing to play.

I wish everyone could go back and watch Pierce when he was at the
University of Kansas. He ran the floor then. He moved without the ball.
He played in a team system.

Now? Now he jogs up the floor and calls for the ball. He either shoots,
drives, or drives until he's stopped and passes. No wonder he gets a lot
of assists. 

The truth is, this team would be better if he was used as a finisher
instead of as an initiator. That gets right to the heart of all this
back-and-forth. He shouldn't be the guy with the ball in his hands with
18 seconds left on the shot clock, deciding whether to shoot, drive or
(last resort) pass. He should be the guy we're running off screens,
setting back picks for, running pick-and-rolls with -- until he gets a
great shot. Or until someone else gets a great shot. The ball just
shouldn't be in his hands that much with a decision to be made. He's a
finisher, not an initiator.

When a finisher has the ball, everyone stands around waiting for him to
finish. When an initiator has the ball (think Nash or Kidd), everyone
moves expecting a pass.

Those assists the other night against Toronto were nice. He made some
nice passes. But that's still not the way you want Pierce to play all
the time.

Believe it or not, watch the Lakers play sometime. They have the
greatest one-on-one wing player in the world, but they don't rely on him
to initiate everything offensively. Kobe doesn't start the play, but he
does finish it. Of course, he's playing for the greatest coach in the
game and Pierce is playing for Doc.

Mark


-----Original Message-----
From: celtics-bounces at igtc.com [mailto:celtics-bounces at igtc.com] On
Behalf Of LittleRich
Sent: Monday, December 04, 2006 10:59 AM
To: The Boston Celtics Mailing List
Subject: RE: Same as it ever was

You want to punish Pierce for rebounding and passing.

--- "Berry, Mark  S" <berrym at BATTELLE.ORG> wrote:

> Bingo.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: celtics-bounces at igtc.com
> [mailto:celtics-bounces at igtc.com] On
> Behalf Of Sean Giovanello
> Sent: Monday, December 04, 2006 8:38 AM
> To: The Boston Celtics Mailing List
> Subject: Re: Same as it ever was
> 
> I dont think there is a single star player in the
> NBA that dominates his
> team the way Pierce does.  You might see it as a
> mark of his greatness -
> but
> being the top scorer, top rebounder, and top assist
> guy on a team is not
> the
> sign of a healthy team.
> 


 
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