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Denton: Barnes Wants Pierce
By John Denton
May 20, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – While Stan Van Gundy is still contemplating the defensive assignments for Saturday’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Orlando Magic small forward Matt Barnes has a message for his coach.
``I’d love to guard (Paul) Pierce,’’ Barnes said of the matchup that he’s hopeful for on Saturday. ``I got the chance to guard him a little bit the last game and felt that I did a pretty good job. But he’s really rolling right now. So we need to slow him down somehow.’’
Of all the adjustments the second-seeded Magic need to make to dig out of an 0-2 hole against the fourth-seeded Celtics, one is finding a way to slow down Boston’s veteran small forward. He’s torched the Magic for 22 and 28 points so far by shooting 58.3 percent from the floor, drilling five 3-pointers and getting to the free throw line where he’s sank 17 of 21 foul shots.
Barnes, who was slowed early in the series by lower back spasms, has spent more of his time chasing Ray Allen off screens while Vince Carter and Mickael Pietrus have handled most of the responsibilities against Pierce.
The Magic got back to work on Thursday at figuring out ways to get back in the series against the Celtics. Van Gundy has been unhappy with the Magic’s inefficiency offensively, and the team worked to find ways to get more shots for power forward Rashard Lewis. Van Gundy said the Magic’s ball movement has been better with shooting guard J.J. Redick on the floor, but he knows that he needs either Barnes or Pietrus on the floor to contain Pierce.
``(Thursday) was good, really good. Energy and focus were there and we talked about some things we need to do better and we did those things,’’ Redick said. ``I think (Wednesday) was a tough day. I wasn’t into life until about 2 p.m. It took about 12 to 14 hours for me to kind of get myself going. Once you get over that initial disappointment and you realize it’s still a series, you kind of look forward you look forward to Saturday.’’
As for Pierce, much of his damage has come early in games, helping the Celtics to get off to great starts and sap the life out of the Magic before their home crowd at Amway Arena. In Sunday’s Game 1, Pierce opened the series with a 3-pointer and scored seven of Boston’s first nine points. And in Tuesday’s Game 2, Pierce had the Celtics’ first nine points, 12 in the first quarter and 22 by halftime.
That changed in the second half when Barnes, Orlando’s ace defender all season, locked down Pierce and held him to just one of four shooting in the third and fourth quarters. Barnes has always guarded Pierce throughout his seven years in the NBA and the two often play pickup ball together in the offseason in Los Angeles – something Barnes feels gives him an advantage.
``I’ve studied his game a lot and played against him in the summertime in L.A. I’m pretty familiar with his game,’’ Barnes said. ``I don’t go for a lot of the stuff that he tries to do, but he still makes tough shots. He’s a tough player. I think that I can slow him down. You don’t really stop anybody; you just want to slow him down.’’
The likelihood is that Barnes will hound Pierce in Game 3, while Carter will move back to checking Allen. That’s the way the Magic schemed defensively against the Celtics during the regular season. And Barnes grew accustomed to checking the other team’s best players, having big defensive nights against the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson and Stephen Jackson during the regular season and in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Being the Magic’s defensive stopper is a role that Barnes, a potential free agent at season’s end relishes.
``It’s just my role on this team. We have plenty of scorers, but my job is to try and go slow their best player down,’’ he said. ``I’m a competitor and I’m guarding some of the best guys in the world, and if I can slow them down that’s a big accomplishment. That helps me and helps the team get a win.’’
Barnes was upset with two things from Tuesday: How Pierce ``flopped’’ to the floor in the third quarter when he was bumped by Barnes in a successful attempt to draw a whistle. And Barnes was none too pleased at some of Pierce’s comments about sweeping the series closing the Magic out in Boston.
``My third foul in the third quarter when I tried to beat him over the screen, he fell down like I threw him. It was ridiculous,’’ Barnes said. ``But the refs called it, so it was a good play. It was a flop, 100 percent.’’
As for the brashness of Pierce, who taunted the Magic last spring in the NBA Finals after Orlando had knocked Boston out of the playoffs, Barnes said it was up to his team to shut up the trash talking.
``I don’t care what Pierce says. I already got in trouble for having Twitter-war with (Lakers forward) Lamar Odom earlier this season,’’ Barnes said. ``I’m not really on Twitter right now. But he can talk (stuff) right now because they’ve been backing it up. Whatever he’s said is granted because we’ve done nothing to stop it.
``Right now our backs are against the wall,’’ Barnes continued. ``We’re putting our focus on getting this one win on Saturday and then we’ll take care of the next game. We’ve been locked in. Winning is on our mind and we still feel we have a legitimate shot to win this series.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard each week on ESPN 1080 AM. E-mail John at jd41898@aol.com.
By John Denton
May 20, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – While Stan Van Gundy is still contemplating the defensive assignments for Saturday’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Orlando Magic small forward Matt Barnes has a message for his coach.
``I’d love to guard (Paul) Pierce,’’ Barnes said of the matchup that he’s hopeful for on Saturday. ``I got the chance to guard him a little bit the last game and felt that I did a pretty good job. But he’s really rolling right now. So we need to slow him down somehow.’’
Of all the adjustments the second-seeded Magic need to make to dig out of an 0-2 hole against the fourth-seeded Celtics, one is finding a way to slow down Boston’s veteran small forward. He’s torched the Magic for 22 and 28 points so far by shooting 58.3 percent from the floor, drilling five 3-pointers and getting to the free throw line where he’s sank 17 of 21 foul shots.
Barnes, who was slowed early in the series by lower back spasms, has spent more of his time chasing Ray Allen off screens while Vince Carter and Mickael Pietrus have handled most of the responsibilities against Pierce.
The Magic got back to work on Thursday at figuring out ways to get back in the series against the Celtics. Van Gundy has been unhappy with the Magic’s inefficiency offensively, and the team worked to find ways to get more shots for power forward Rashard Lewis. Van Gundy said the Magic’s ball movement has been better with shooting guard J.J. Redick on the floor, but he knows that he needs either Barnes or Pietrus on the floor to contain Pierce.
``(Thursday) was good, really good. Energy and focus were there and we talked about some things we need to do better and we did those things,’’ Redick said. ``I think (Wednesday) was a tough day. I wasn’t into life until about 2 p.m. It took about 12 to 14 hours for me to kind of get myself going. Once you get over that initial disappointment and you realize it’s still a series, you kind of look forward you look forward to Saturday.’’
As for Pierce, much of his damage has come early in games, helping the Celtics to get off to great starts and sap the life out of the Magic before their home crowd at Amway Arena. In Sunday’s Game 1, Pierce opened the series with a 3-pointer and scored seven of Boston’s first nine points. And in Tuesday’s Game 2, Pierce had the Celtics’ first nine points, 12 in the first quarter and 22 by halftime.
That changed in the second half when Barnes, Orlando’s ace defender all season, locked down Pierce and held him to just one of four shooting in the third and fourth quarters. Barnes has always guarded Pierce throughout his seven years in the NBA and the two often play pickup ball together in the offseason in Los Angeles – something Barnes feels gives him an advantage.
``I’ve studied his game a lot and played against him in the summertime in L.A. I’m pretty familiar with his game,’’ Barnes said. ``I don’t go for a lot of the stuff that he tries to do, but he still makes tough shots. He’s a tough player. I think that I can slow him down. You don’t really stop anybody; you just want to slow him down.’’
The likelihood is that Barnes will hound Pierce in Game 3, while Carter will move back to checking Allen. That’s the way the Magic schemed defensively against the Celtics during the regular season. And Barnes grew accustomed to checking the other team’s best players, having big defensive nights against the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson and Stephen Jackson during the regular season and in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Being the Magic’s defensive stopper is a role that Barnes, a potential free agent at season’s end relishes.
``It’s just my role on this team. We have plenty of scorers, but my job is to try and go slow their best player down,’’ he said. ``I’m a competitor and I’m guarding some of the best guys in the world, and if I can slow them down that’s a big accomplishment. That helps me and helps the team get a win.’’
Barnes was upset with two things from Tuesday: How Pierce ``flopped’’ to the floor in the third quarter when he was bumped by Barnes in a successful attempt to draw a whistle. And Barnes was none too pleased at some of Pierce’s comments about sweeping the series closing the Magic out in Boston.
``My third foul in the third quarter when I tried to beat him over the screen, he fell down like I threw him. It was ridiculous,’’ Barnes said. ``But the refs called it, so it was a good play. It was a flop, 100 percent.’’
As for the brashness of Pierce, who taunted the Magic last spring in the NBA Finals after Orlando had knocked Boston out of the playoffs, Barnes said it was up to his team to shut up the trash talking.
``I don’t care what Pierce says. I already got in trouble for having Twitter-war with (Lakers forward) Lamar Odom earlier this season,’’ Barnes said. ``I’m not really on Twitter right now. But he can talk (stuff) right now because they’ve been backing it up. Whatever he’s said is granted because we’ve done nothing to stop it.
``Right now our backs are against the wall,’’ Barnes continued. ``We’re putting our focus on getting this one win on Saturday and then we’ll take care of the next game. We’ve been locked in. Winning is on our mind and we still feel we have a legitimate shot to win this series.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard each week on ESPN 1080 AM. E-mail John at jd41898@aol.com.
