Every
morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here…
highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as
satisfying a good morning dump.
it happens a lot,’’ Rivers said yesterday. “When you are playing well
you start thinking about why you’re playing well and then you start
trying to do that more – ‘Man, I’m getting everybody open.’ So, now I’m
trying to get guys open instead of realizing the reason you’re getting
guys open is because you’re attacking; everyone was helping, and you
were making simple passes, with your instincts. And that’s where he’s
back to. He was pre-determining where guys were going to be instead of
letting his instincts tell him a guy would have been open if he came
off in a scoring mode.’’
Rivers’s message to Pierce to trust his instincts paid off in a 122-104
win over Minnesota Sunday. Pierce scored 29 points and hit 6 of 6 3
pointers to tie a team record. This was Pierce’s best production in
regulation this season – he scored 33 at New York, but he totaled 7
points in overtime.
Globe – Rethinking Thought Process
I believe the scientific term for what ailed Pierce is called 'forcing it.' With most players, 'forcing it' involves taking bad shots. But in Paul's case, he was trying to dictate the offensive flow. The Globe had some revealing stats about Pierce's play of late:
games, Pierce’s production tailed off over the next nine games. From a
Nov. 29 visit to Miami through the Philadelphia loss, Pierce averaged
13.4 points on 35 for 91 shooting (.379).
On page 2, Doc's dream combination off the bench involves Tony Allen.
“You have a shutdown 3 and a shutdown 2 that you can bring off the
bench.”
“(He has) better focus now, accepts his role. He realizes he’s not
going to be a 30-point-a-night scorer like every other young guy
believes. He just has to stay in that spot. It happened to Kendrick Perkins when he was younger. You have a 25-point game and you think, You know
what? I am an offensive player, even if those 25 points came off a
great pick and roll or another pass.”
Herald – Tony Allen's Stock on Rise
The rest of the links:
Globe – Pacers Thumbnails | Herald – Pierce, Doc Bond Strong as Ever | Scouting Report: Pacers at Celtics | ESPN Boston – TA a Healthy Addition | WEEI – How BBD Stays Slim During Holidays | Quis to Give Back in Orlando | CSNNE – Allen Filling the Gap | Down 35, Kings Rally to Beat Bulls
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