Rondo And Pierce Can't Seem To Get On Same Page

by Jeff Clark on Feb 17, 2012 5:00 PM EST in Boston Celtics Articles

Paul Pierce has always been the alpha dog in Boston. When Antoine stole the headlines, Pierce was busy doin' work. When Garnett and Allen came to town, Pierce still held the top dog title and delivered as the Finals MVP.

Now Rajon Rondo is the emerging face of the Boston Celtics and there's one small problem with that. Paul Pierce has never been asked to be a support player before. Garnett's main focus is defense and is happy to take whatever shots naturally come his way. Ray runs through picks all day long and if he's open (even for an instant) he expects to get the ball and it behooves the team to get him the ball. Neither one carries the load offensively like Pierce has. Rondo, on the other hand, has to walk a fine line when it comes to "being more aggressive."

In the days past, Rondo's role was to set up the stars. That's fine, but lately they need his help more. So Rondo's being encouraged to "be aggressive." So that means holding onto the ball and looking for his own scoring opportunities more. That might be taking Pierce out of his game. On the flipside, when Pierce is playing his game, it might be forcing Rondo back into his old "distribute and watch" ways.

Ben Rohrbach of WEEI

It appears as though if one is in attack/create mode, the other falls into sit-back-and-watch mode. In the eight games Rondo missed, Pierce attempted 30 percent more shots at the rim. In the six games Rondo has exceeded 15 points, the Celtics point guard has attempted 93 percent more shots at the rim.

It's important to note the Celtics are 0-3 without Pierce and 6-2 in Rondo's absence. Is that to say the Celtics are better without Rondo? Absolutely not. They just haven't figured out how to maximize the impact of one player entering his prime and another entering the so-called twilight of his career. When one's been hot, the other's not.

I hope they can figure this out, since the two are the main pieces left on contract past this year (barring a big trade). I support the efforts of getting Rondo to be more aggressive, but we also need Pierce to stay in attack mode as well. How they do that, exactly, is a challenge for Doc to figure out.

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I thought the same thing watching last nights game.

Glad I wasn’t the only one.

There’s been a noticeable difference in Pierce’s game since Rondo came back. He’s not in the flow, he’s just standing around watching Rondo, then taking his turn when it comes.

They’ve got this Melo + Amare thing going, which was killing the Knicks before Linsanity took over (and still might again, that remains to be seen) where one gets going, while the other is taken out of the game. Then they switch.

Pierce has got to find a way to get himself into the flow of the game when the ball is not in his hands, he’s been way too much of a spectator lately.

by C'sFan on Feb 17, 2012 5:23 PM EST reply actions

Run!

If Pierce would start running with Wilcox and Rondo he would get back into the flow of the game. This would mean less minutes for Pierce. But the offense can flow thru Pierce when Rondo is on the bench.
Perhaps the solution is that Doc needs to identify which strategy best against particular opponents- aggressive Rondo or passing Rondo.

simul justus et peccator

by cavman on Feb 17, 2012 5:46 PM EST reply actions

I agree - Rondo needs a running mate on the wing (and more great running from Wilcox)

BUT… as important as it is for Pierce to run more, I think it’s key for Rondo to keep attacking in the final 6 minutes of close games. He just… stops running. And if the team is up by a kind of comfortable margin he just … stops attacking. It kills me.

by milt palacio's shot on Feb 17, 2012 8:42 PM EST up reply actions

Nail on the head

Said the same thing in a post last week. As for the 0-3 start with Rondo, don’t forget those first games were all him and Ray Allen. KG was largely invisible and not on track and it was new, untried faces filling in for Pierce.

by DENNEE on Feb 17, 2012 6:23 PM EST reply actions

It's a no brainer

And the reason the heat lost last year. You put one team on the floor with rondo, you put another on the floor with pierce. Moore/dooling, Bradley pierce kg Jo. The other- Allen, rondo, wilcox, jjj/bass, pietrus

by cltc5 on Feb 17, 2012 6:25 PM EST via mobile reply actions

i think it should be

rondo.moore.pietrus.JJ.Wilcox
Bradley.allen.pierce.KG.Oneal
the first is quick and athletic and everyone can score from pretty much the whole floor then the second is slow but solid defensively and good at execution. if we are switching the tempo that much then it will be difficult for teams to prepare for us because its like playing two teams

by JuJuan some moore on Feb 17, 2012 6:33 PM EST up reply actions

LOLOL...

Moore and Bradley in the regular rotation? With no injuries to other players? You do realize our coach is Doc Rivers, right?

by yakyakyak on Feb 17, 2012 8:13 PM EST up reply actions

Best fir no fit

So do i understand we do not want to put the best five on the floor together against the other teams best five. That Just does not sound right for some reason. I f they don’t fit we must switch. That is trade the parts that.s not working together. We are talking professional veterans here not rookies learning the game and how to play together.

by Moses Freeman Jr. on Feb 17, 2012 10:44 PM EST up reply actions

what do we mean by the best...

the best need not be the starting five doc use frequently…wat jajuan means by the best is the combination that gives best results..coz apparently rondo and pierce styles dont fit at the moment

by goldenapple on Feb 18, 2012 7:52 AM EST up reply actions

Very well said

The issue is: who are the best five? Doc only will go with his old guys plus Rondo. Those are not the best five on this team. Not even close.

by green solution on Feb 20, 2012 7:35 PM EST up reply actions

Not Just Pierce

Ray also hasn’t been getting his shots. I don’t think there are any personality things going on, but I think they just need to find the right balance for, really, at least 12 players.

As to Pierce, he has had the ball in his hands, but just doesn’t seem to get to the basket or get a shot off. Maybe teams are defending him better. Also have a hunch that Pierce may be hurt. Even if he’s not getting the shots he hasn’t been rebounding either lately regardless of what Rondo does. And Pierce does run when Rondo is in the game.

Against Chicago it seemed that everyone was walking in molasses. They were all slow to the ball. And they don’t seem to be able to get into any offensive or defensive rhythm. From the start I thought the whole season would need to be used as a training camp. Maybe that ‘s what’s going on. Some roles seem to be coming together such as Rondo/Wilcox.

One other thought is rebounding. The just play better when they rebound (or get stops). Then they run and all the guys run. They are just not getting those opportunities lately.

"I don't come to play, I come to WIN"--Larry Bird
"Criminally Negligent Officiating"--Tommy Heinsohn

by TrueGreen on Feb 17, 2012 7:54 PM EST reply actions

thought the same thing all season... it seems like only one of Rondo or Pierce can be hot at the same time

But I wonder if the solution would be to let Rondo do his thing for the first 3 1/2 quarters when he can play wild and loose (and let Pierce feed off of that) and then make it team strategy to run the offense through Pierce for the final 6 minutes of close games. No more Rondo sitting with ball at the top of the key, but rather he could run the baseline looking for feeds from Pierce or KG (a la Bradley). 4th Q is Pierce’s time anyway, and Rondo is just not as effective in tense, half-court situations at the end of games. Pierce is a great finisher – seems like a shame not to make him the primary guy in the clutch.

by milt palacio's shot on Feb 17, 2012 8:36 PM EST reply actions

and as a side note

Rondo is absolutely horrible at last second finishes. When there are 10 seconds on the clock at the ends of quarters he almost always takes the shot himself and has a ridiculously low percentage of success.

Pierce, on the other hand, is pretty great in those situations. It’s a real strategic error to almost always let Rondo take those shots.

by milt palacio's shot on Feb 17, 2012 8:38 PM EST up reply actions

Not So Simple

Teams are defending C’s better. Alot may be because they are not setting good picks or executing plays as well as they should. I don’t think it’s a question of one player being “hot” at a time.

Also, what are the roles. Pierce recently has been giving the team what it needs. He hasn’t been doing it the last few games. I don’t think it has anything to do with Rondo or any other player. Don’t know why, but he’s just not playing well lately. Even his defense is off and he’s not rebounding either.

Ray, too, has not been able to get free and into any kind of rhythm. It seems like the multiple picks just aren’t there.

Also, whoever is playing the Center position may not be executing properly. At the start of games, that’s the only difference in the last few years. Shaq did a good job at the start of last year until he got hurt. Then we had the same problem.

Just hope they get things worked out. I don’t think anyone (players, coaches) is happy with the way they are playing, even when they’re winning.

"I don't come to play, I come to WIN"--Larry Bird
"Criminally Negligent Officiating"--Tommy Heinsohn

by TrueGreen on Feb 17, 2012 8:54 PM EST up reply actions

Team is better with PP running it!

Just look at the record, plain and simple

by mdowell04 on Feb 17, 2012 8:36 PM EST reply actions

I kind of think you're right.

but what does that mean for Rondo? And what does it mean for the future of this team?

by milt palacio's shot on Feb 17, 2012 8:38 PM EST up reply actions

Im not sure

Ive been a Celtics fan for 40 years. Not sure how much longer I can follow them if they keep rondo. I cant stand him. To me he is everything that is wrong with the nba.

by mdowell04 on Feb 17, 2012 10:09 PM EST reply actions

When Rondo was not here

Paul Pierce. We won games. Fulfilled comeback games. (Okay they blew that one game against the Cavs or else it could’ve been 9 in a row).

When Rondo was here, we getting killed.

Trade Rondo.

End of story.

by SparzWizard on Feb 17, 2012 10:25 PM EST reply actions

trade pierce...end of story!

This Rondo’s team now. i would trade Pp and ray in a heartbeat for draft picks if u ask me.
The way to go forward is to go young.

by bopna on Feb 18, 2012 6:28 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

I think it's more like Pierce hasn't had a good couple of games

I don’t think it’s that Pierce and Rondo can’t be out there at the same time, in fact they’ve been doing that effectively for a while now. I just think Paul has to get it going, I don’t now if he’s not 100 percent or what but he has been off lately, definitely in the last two games.

by p-peazy on Feb 17, 2012 10:34 PM EST reply actions

Done

Pierce is a liability – certainly at the end of the game. He’s too old and slow and nobody wants to hurt his feelings (especially his buddy Doc).

by green solution on Feb 20, 2012 7:37 PM EST up reply actions

If Pierce and Ray

aren’t getting enough shots when we play fast it isn’t Rondo’s fault it is because they aren’t busting their buts to get up the court.

This is more on PP then on Ray. He is trotting up the court and hanging out at the 3pt line. As soon as WIlcox enters the game Rondo becomes more aggressive, we get into the open court and get easy baskets. Once this happens Pierce seems disinterested much like Rondo gets disinterested when he is playing in quick sand with the starters..

by CelticsFanNC on Feb 18, 2012 7:52 AM EST reply actions