Same as it ever was

[Sean Giovanello]

I do not think I could have written this any better myself :)

It encapsulates so much that is wrong with the Celtics and to a lesser
extent Pierce.

On 12/4/06, Berry, Mark S <berrym at battelle.org> wrote:
>
> 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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