Dear Paul: This Is About The Celtics

I love Paul Pierce.  I really do.  I have loved him ever since we drafted him out of Kansas and through thick and thin, I stood, stand and will continue to stand by this man.  But the way he played in Game 3 has me worried.  I know it's just one game, but...Hey!  It's the Finals!  Therefore, I am hypersensitive and completely insane.

There've been enough articles written about Pierce in the last week or so to make one think that this Series is all about him.  Him emerging as our Go-To-Guy in the Playoffs.  Him being the longest tenured Celtic.  And of course, his return to LA as a Celtic...Certainly, there are many other fascinating subplots, but Pierce's, as a direct result of his play in the first two games, has entered center stage.  And he admitted that it affected his play in Game 3 .

Pierce also admitted to suffering some of the hometown issues that can mess with good players. That’s why it was such a big deal that he’s usually played well here.

“I think I was a little too hyper coming into this game, you know, looking at a great opportunity playing at home,” he said. “I’ve just got to settle down into what I do and go out there and play. I think I was (anxious), but that’s no excuse. You’re supposed to be. You’re coming home to play with a tremendous opportunity to go 3-0. It’s all about just settling down and going out there and playing the game. I think that’s what caused me to get two early fouls. That just pretty much threw the rhythm of my offense off throughout the game, just getting into foul trouble and thinking too much.”

I have no doubt that Paul Pierce will pick up his play.  But what alarmed me in Game 3 was that he dominated the ball in the fourth quarter when he was clearly having an off night.  And while having an off night, he hogged the ball and tried to bring us back when we had someone else that could do the job better than he could in Ray Allen.

Even though he was 2 for 12 - on his way to a 2-for-14 homecoming horror show - Pierce still held out hope he could lead the Celtics back; that a shot that hadn't fallen all night would fall when it counted most.

"I think all my shots are going to go. I'm not going to just throw it up to throw it up," said Pierce, who had just 6 points in an 87-81 loss last night in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. "It's the breaks of the games. I got a smile on my face even though we lost because I know we're going to play better. I just know it."

Maybe I'm reading too much into this.  I hope I'm reading too much into this.  But I can't shake the feeling that Paul played selfish ball when he should've been deferring to the hottest hand.  What's worse?  He doesn't even seem to realize it, too caught up in his own game. 

"It's frustrating when you don't shoot well, but . . . by no means is it going to break my confidence," said Pierce. "When I look back there were some shots I took that were good shots for me. They just didn't fall. I got myself out of rhythm by getting in foul trouble."

The fact of the matter is, to put it bluntly, Paul Pierce should've given the ball to Ray Allen and gotten the hell out of the way.  We may or may not have won, but it was our best hope and Pierce completely neglected it.

Pierce is clearly our best player, but he's also our Captain.  He has to recognize when someone else on the team is playing at a higher level than he is.  And he has to know to defer.   

I know Paul Pierce got us here, but I hope he isn't thinking about his own personal angle too much.  Because as compelling as his own legacy may eventually become, we've come too far to make this about him now.  Put the team first.  We have a title to win.