Role Players Getting Time to Shine in Superstars’ Absence
But over the course of the past week, we've really gotten to see the specifics of what happens to this Celtics basketball team without the presence of floor leader Paul Pierce. It's more than a simple loss of 18 points per game. It's a shift in the team's identity, and we're starting to see how it all shakes out.
Like it or not, a healthy Paul Pierce is the cornerstone of this team offensively. Up and down the roster, he is Boston's one tried and true scorer. Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are becoming more and more of passive jump shooters; Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace are there primarily for defense and rebounding; and Rajon Rondo, while his playmaking abilities are growing, is still very much a work in progress. When healthy, Pierce is the one guy you can always trust to drive to the basket and create. Without that constant scoring threat, the Celtics are a different team.
Without Pierce, a lot changes. There's more pressure on Allen and Garnett to hit those jumpers — whenever Ray bricks on a three or KG misses a 15-footer from the elbow, they don't have their captain to bail them out. There's more pressure on Rondo — there's no room for him to be streaky or indecisive. Now, he has to be a creator offensively.
And on the bright side, the Celtics' bench gets a chance to shine.
Take Tony Allen, for instance. In four games since Pierce hit the shelf with a knee injury, Allen has started all four and cranked out surprisingly good numbers in the captain's stead: He's averaging 11 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists as the Celtics' starting small forward.
Allen has looked comfortable in his shoes and confident in his role as the team's new starting three-man. It's a good thing, too — without T.A. and the rest of the bench stepping up, the Celtics would be in serious trouble.
"I’m glad to see Tony Allen’s playing very well," Celtics principal owner Wyc Grousbeck told The Boston Globe last week. "We’ll have to have people like Tony step it up."
Allen has been the subject of much skepticism in the past. Many in Boston have doubted his dedication, his basketball IQ, his shot selection, his defensive prowess. And considering the injuries he's been through in the past couple years — torn knee ligaments, a sprained ankle, a bad thumb, another ankle injury — the Celtics are relatively happy when they get anything at all out of him.
In the past couple of weeks, Allen has proven he's capable of being a real contributor. He made his comeback to the Celtics at the perfect time — he's slid right into Pierce's role and performed nicely. He's scoring, he's defending, he's making the extra pass when the situation warrants. In short, he's a poor man's Pierce.
It's not just Allen, though. Eddie House is shooting the lights out; Shelden Williams is crashing the boards with a passion; even J.R. Giddens and Lester Hudson are getting some action. Filling in for Pierce has been a team effort, and everyone's done his part.
It hasn't exactly translated into wins. Save for one beautiful performance in Orlando last Friday — a Christmas miracle, if you will — the Celtics aren't coming out on top.
Win or lose, though, this has been a character-building stretch for these Celtics. It takes more than just a star like Pierce to win a championship — it takes role players. It takes teamwork. It takes a holistic effort from 12 men.
In Paul Pierce's absence, the entire team has taken this opportunity to grow. And when Pierce returns, they'll be stronger for it.
