PP must be a role player, like everyone else

PP has not been playing well in these playoffs. Putting aside the reasons why, it's essential that the team figure out how to play him. Pierce is still valuable... but ONLY IF HE ACCEPTS HIS ROLE ON THE TEAM. He is NOT the floor leader, Rondo is. He is NOT the hero, there are no heroes. Paul is a "role player" -- like everybody else on this team. His role on offense is to get himself open for the looks that best suit him... mid-range jumpers, occasional open 3s, drives to the hoop. Don't try to create it, Paul... wait for it to happen. Just like Ray waits for his shots (and misses when he forces things). Paul must rid himself of the hero complex he seems to have, and play team ball, Celtics ball.

And PP must not be the one bringing the ball up. When he does, everything - the whole game - slows down measurably. The ball gets sticky, mostly in his hands. In these playoffs, the result has too often been either a turnover, or a Paul iso play. Sometimes his isos work, sometimes they don't. But that is not how you win games, not championship basketball.

RONDO must bring the ball up, every time if possible. Neither Paul nor Ray should be doing that. Ever (unless unavoidable). That's not their roles. When they go outside their roles, the game slows down and things go awry. Pretty soon, Rondo goes into slow-mode too, and then before you know it, the whole team is running through mud. And all that starts with... Paul, mostly.

Paul Pierce thinks of himself as "the captain". He is not and he needs to stop thinking he is. Rondo is the leader of this team. KG used to be the leader on the defensive end, but in his absense Rondo is the key on both ends of the floor. (Of course, Rondo must improve his defense on the PG he's guarding, but we're focusing on Paul now.)

If Paul cannot accept Rondo's leading role on the floor, he needs to SIT DOWN. The team had its best game when he did... and that was no coincidence. Lately, the more Paul Pierce scores, the more likely the loss.... and there is a reason for that: Paul's shooting percentages have been poor, his turnovers too high, and his overall speed too slow. So while he SEEMS to be helping the team by scoring points, he is also hurting it with the shots he misses, the turnovers he creates, and the slow play he causes. Result: loss.

Bad, slow, lazy play is contagious. Especially when it starts with the so-called "captain". When Paul is allowed to run the floor, pretty soon everybody is playing slowly and poorly. Rondo must run things, from the very FIRST play of the game... so his energy level starts high and stays that way. Then the whole team plays at THAT level... the right way.

I don't know if Doc has the nerve to do what must be done with Paul. But that's his job. So far, he's not doing it. Maybe Doc and Paul just need a vacation. At this rate, if they don't fix what must be fixed immediately... they will soon get one.

(I'm sure the PP lovers/apologists will just love this post. Whatever. The team is what should matter most.)