Paul Pierce's Defensive Play

[BradyManny]

I see a lot of people alluding to PP's defense having gone downhill in the last few years. This is something we've heard a bunch recently.

I'd like to see someone tell me why they think this is. Is it just something that they heard, or have they witnessed it? B/c I watch every C's game, and I can tell you, I still think PP is a very good defensive player.

Paul certainly takes defense seriously and has the physical ability to defend well and has been a good defensive player his whole career.

Is it really likely that all of a sudden goes away...or does it have something to do with the fact that Boston has moved to a team defense which requires constant rotation and decision making, and that Paul was surrounding by rookies who were incapable of making the right decisions when it comes to rotating. Jefferson, Perkins and other youngsters have had trouble in this team defense, and Wally S. was a disaster due to slow knees. You can either blame those players or the defense that Doc implements (I'm not a fan of it), but to say Pierce has slowed defensively - there's absolutely zero evidence for it.

Anyone who is claiming Pierce has slipped defensively better have some pretty good evidence, because all I'm seeing is a good defender stuck in a terrible team defense.

I think removing Wally S. and putting in a quicker, longer guy (Ray Allen) - who likewise has been stuck in crappy Ds and has gotten a bad rap - and who causes more turnovers and steals than Wally did, and simply playing Rondo more, a naturally gifted defensive player, that our defense will be much better next season. Jefferson and Perk may continue to struggle, but they do have the ability to block shots, it's only a matter of time before they gain the experience and start making the right calls defensively.

(Personally, I'd rather just scrap this team defense bordering on zone stuff altogether and just play man...but that's a separate issue).

 

[PonyExpress]

Pierce played good defense under O'Brien. Nobody has played good defense under Doc. Pierce is older and heavier now, and tends to conserve energy for the offensive end. I would classify Pierce as a decent team defender when he wants to be.

 

[BradyManny]

Pierce played good defense under O'Brien. Nobody has played good defense under Doc. Pierce is older and heavier now, and tends to conserve energy for the offensive end. I would classify Pierce as a decent team defender when he wants to be.

If the team sucks, you're a) going to suffer b/c the players around you can't play D b) admittedly not going to exert as much effort, whether consciously or not.

It's that simple.

Nobody has played good D under Doc b/c their defensive system is more complicated than it need be. They never fight picks, they are always rotating and switching and ultimately, are basically playing this hybrid man-zone team defense. The aim is to create turnovers, but all it does is allow the offense to dictate mismatches. IE, if they were playing the San Antonio and the Spurs ran a pick and roll, you might wind up with Perk guarding Tony Parker and Rondo on Tim Duncan. It's asinine.

If they just played man, they'd be fine.

 

[Real World]

Pierce is fat, and out of shape. He stopped caring a couple of years ago. Forget about his offense, and concentrate on what the player he is guarding does. He can't move laterally anymore. Look at his blocked shots, and steals per 40 minutes over his career. They're down, down, and more down.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/piercpa01.html

 

[BradyManny]

Pierce is fat, and out of shape. He stopped caring a couple of years ago. Forget about his offense, and concentrate on what the player he is guarding does. He can't move laterally anymore. Look at his blocked shots, and steals per 40 minutes over his career. They're down, down, and more down.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/piercpa01.html

You can't talk about this defense until you at least mention that the Celtics don't play straight up man and that in and of itself makes evaluating a defensive play more complicated than looking at a stat sheet.