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This guy had some big time steals, hit some big shots, and blocked LeBron's for good measure. So much for a low BBIQ. I'd like to see a guy like Pietrus on this team. At least he has the ability to go to the rim.
when he thinks about nothing it's a good player
a big piece for Orlando this year and a good defender on Lebron
This guy had some big time steals, hit some big shots, and blocked LeBron's for good measure. So much for a low BBIQ. I'd like to see a guy like Pietrus on this team. At least he has the ability to go to the rim.
Didn't he do a pretty good job vs. Dirk in the past as well?
parker for nelson + pietrus/lee
just do it!!!!!!!
I would love him on the team, provided we signed him for a fair price.
On ESPN's Daily Dime...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailyd...ge=dime-090525
By Zach McCann | TrueHoop Network
The Mickael Pietrus we saw tonight -- working relentlessly on defense, pushing the tempo, hitting open shots -- was the player the Orlando Magic envisioned when they gave him the mid-level exception this past summer.
Pietrus, who spent his time on the floor as the primary defender of LeBron James, forced James into a 39.2 percent shooting night and allowed very few easy buckets for the NBA MVP.
And despite missing four of his five 3-point attempts, Pietrus scored 16 points by being active, attacking the hoop and drawing fouls.
"MP has had the tendency in the past to get very frustrated with himself when he's not shooting the ball well, and he allows it to affect the rest of his game," Stan Van Gundy said. "Tonight he didn't do that."
His performance on Sunday night and in the playoffs is providing validation to a free-agent acquisition that was questioned after an inconsistent regular season. Pietrus battled injuries all year long, and the Magic couldn't depend on him when he did play.
Some consistency from Pietrus couldn't come at a better time -- he's averaging 12.4 points and shooting 52 percent since the start of the Boston series, and the Magic are often depending on him to guard the opponents' best player.
There's never been any doubt Pietrus had the talent and athletic makeup to contribute on a le-contending team -- what's always been unclear, though, is if he had the head.
Mike Montgomery, who coached Golden State from 2004-06, once said of Pietrus: "He's a great athlete, but you look over with two minutes left in a tight game and he could be talking to the peanut guy."
No late-game chats with any food vendors on Sunday night -- Pietrus was too busy defending the league's best player and helping give the Magic a 2-1 series lead.
Good stuff. Thanks for posting.
I still throw up thinking how this guy could've contributed to the Spurs.
Good stuff. Thanks for posting.
I still throw up thinking how this guy could've contributed to the Spurs.
SenorSpur,
He could have contributed to Spurs, no doubt!
But it could have been a money decision as well.
In the article, Mike Montgomery went after his low BBIQ. Pop and Don Nelson have a close relationship and he could have been talked out of getting Pietrus from coming to the Spurs.
Plus he was injured for a good portion of the season.
Good stuff. Thanks for posting.
I still throw up thinking how this guy could've contributed to the Spurs.
Yeah I noticed that too, though I wouldn't take Mike Montgomery's word and I certainly wouldn't be inclined to value Don Nelson's take on a player. Nelson falls in and out of love with players about as much as Larry Brown. The next time one of Nelson's teams decides to play defense will be the first time.
If Pietrus did have some "dumb-ass" in him, I don't see any evidence of it now. All I know is what I've seen out of him thus far - an athletic player, who is making solid plays on both ends for a playoff team. Perhaps his improved play can also be credited to Stan Van Gundy's coaching. He may be the Master of Panic, but the guy does preach defense and smart play.
Pietrus woth low BBIQ:
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than Bonner+Findog+JV with high BBIQ
Game 1 in Cleveland MP came up with some huge shots, many of them from beyond the Arc.
More importantly he had that swagger and wasn't phased by the playoffs or the opposing home crowd.
After the first couple I was like man this guy has a bit too much bravado, but after he sunk the 4th or 5th I was thinking the Spurs could have really used this guy.
I started to pay attention to him more on each possession and he was quick strong and active.
In Game 2 he continued with the good offense but also upped his defense. In that 4th quarter home stretch he hounded LBJ into some missed jumpers and even a travel.
It's a shame the Spurs didn't pick him up, he seems to fill a few holes in our team.
I kinda like guys with swag who nail shots and play good defense. He reminds me remotely of Stephen Jackson.
I think you pretty well summed it up. Pietrus isn't intimidated by big games or media hype. That's what's so special about him. He just goes out and plays his game. He's a poor man's version of Jackson, but that's still pretty damn good. He'll never be a superstar but I think he can be a star role player.
And that would've been enough of a contribution for the Spurs. The FO was willing to throw the entire MLE at Corey Maggette, which I totally understood and supported. However, is it possible the Pietrus' skills and abilities -at both ends of the floor - currently rival or even exceed that of Maggette's? This is not to say that Pietrus was worth the entire MLE, but his strong playoff play is making a sound justification for his price tag.
The ESPN article describes well what are Pietrus' flaws.
I hope for him that he has improved as a player and that it isn't just a good stretch.
To add... some players shrink from pressure, others feed off it, and then there are those rare individuals that relish it.
I think MP is firmly in the second category.
You gather enough of these type of guys, and you might be holding up that Trophy at the end of the year.
I will reiterate a few things
Pietrus made more sense to me to go after than RMJ because spurs needed a player that can
1. Slow down / guard the other team's goto wing player in the playoffs. Asking Bowen to do this @ age 38 was asking too much, but this was obviously Pop's plan all along.Bowen's offensive production has also seen better days. And when's the last time you saw Bowen running the fast break with Parker? They love to call Tony a 1 man fast break.. well... that's because he's the only man running usually
2. Pietrus' all around talent > Mason. Popovich needs to lose the obsession with 1 dimensional spot up shooters and start looking for players that are well rounded. I'll give Mason credit he did a great job sitting out on the 3pt line and hit some clutch shots for the spurs this year but you know what? Pietrus can hit clutch 3's too. He's been doing it in every playoff series so far.
3. He can run the fast break and finish, draw contact/fouls and shoot free throws. I still remember spurs fans raving over Mason's free throw % at the beginning of the year when he's lucky if he gets to the line once a game. And most of those are probably from other teams technicals
4. Oh yah, what is that Pietrus does again? Dunk the ball? Okay, guess he wouldn't have played under Pop
I doubt Pietrus was ready to sign a 2 years contract like RMJ.
This is why I always LOL'ed to myself when the "low bball IQ" meme relating to pietrus was spreading like wildfire.
pietrus>mason
I will reiterate a few things
Pietrus made more sense to me to go after than RMJ because spurs needed a player that can
1. Slow down / guard the other team's goto wing player in the playoffs. Asking Bowen to do this @ age 38 was asking too much, but this was obviously Pop's plan all along.
2. Pietrus' all around talent > Mason. Popovich needs to lose the obsession with 1 dimensional spot up shooters and start looking for players that are well rounded. I'll give Mason credit he did a great job sitting out on the 3pt line and hit some clutch shots for the spurs this year but you know what? Pietrus can hit clutch 3's too. He's been doing it in every playoff series so far.
3. He can run the fast break and finish, draw contact/fouls and shoot free throws. I still remember spurs fans raving over Mason's free throw % at the beginning of the year when he's lucky if he gets to the line once a game. And most of those are probably from other teams technicals
4. Oh yah, what is that Pietrus does again? Dunk the ball? Okay, guess he wouldn't have played under Pop
I agree wholeheartedly. I love Mason too, but he, like so many players on the Spurs roster, is limited and too much of a one-trick pony. Pietrus possesses a more well-rounded suite of skills that would have made him an instantly valuable contributor - and for all the valid reasons you've pointed out.
I still don't understand why the Spurs "turned their noses up" on this guy. Especially considering he was forced to wait until late in the summer before the Magic finally tendered him an offer. He was out there for the taking.
Last edited by SenorSpur; 05-25-2009 at 05:53 PM.
Will Timvp eat crow when the Magic make the finals?
I remember him saying this past summer that Mason>Pietrus, and that he was dumb as a rock and wouldn't help the Spurs.
Magic’s Pietrus the ‘X-Factor’ in East finals
http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127257
It would have been nice if we could have acquired Mason and Pietrus. Mason's shooting and Pietrus' defensive abilities would have been a good tandem. Not sure we could have gotten both, but I don't recall Pietrus signing a big contract.
dont worry finley will be back we dont need pietrus lol
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