Doc Rivers Doesn't Like Leon

(Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)




Well the Celtics lose for the first time at home during the playoffs. This is not a surprise considering the amount of playing time Leon got. Powe played 2 minutes and grabbed 2 rebounds in that time and was then pulled. You may ask why was Leon pulled? Well during a 4 on 3 break Leon got stuck guarding more than one guy because P.J Brown was too slow to get back on defense. Leon then went to cover one guy and Tayshaun Prince was then left open for a dunk. Yes, Leon should have seen it coming and opened up quicker but I'm sorry he isn't perfect like Doc Rivers. Powe was then pulled never to be seen again. Instead of Leon we got 7 excruciating minutes of Glen Davis. He was awful and the during his time on the floor the Pistons went on a run. The thing about this is that Davis, Perkins, and Brown can mess up over and over again and stay in the game. But if Powe makes one slip up he never touches the floor again. How many times do we have to watch Perkins be lazy and walk up the floor, or how many times will he decide not to box a guy out. How many times do I have to watch Big Baby do something stupid or just fall into people. It's very frustrating to watch. I think P.J Brown has done a very fine job in the playoffs although he lacks the athletic ability of his younger days. I think Brown should be splitting time with Leon as a back up. Leon should get more of the minutes during the middle of the game because of the energy and spark he provides. With Brown getting the nod during crunch time because of his experience. But hey, I'm no genius like Doc Rivers so what do I know.

I have to say this to close... Doc Rivers doesn't like Leon Powe and it's very obvious. Doc has stressed over and over again how he loves to play guys that are always loud and outgoing and real cheerleaders. Leon is a little more shy and reserved and gets penalized for it. This isn't middle school basketball. Just because one guy cheers harder than the other doesn't mean he should be playing over the better basketball player. Brian Scalabrine cheered so hard that he got to start a few games for the Celtics. He was playing ahead of Leon just because he was the team kiss ass. Big Baby shouts and screams so Doc thinks that means he'll be the best player. It's ludicrous. It's always great to have players be enthusiastic but it doesn't always translate into production on the court. Leon is a quiet dude that goes about his business and has always been successful doing so. Doc shouldn't penalize Leon for his personality.

Leon made one questionable mistake in game 2 and was pulled for it. Is that what you want to teach your young guys? Make a mistake and you'll never touch the floor again. That's a lot of pressure to put on anybody. There shouldn't be a double standard for Leon. If Davis is aloud to go around hacking people and making dumb decisions, then Leon should be aloud to make one minor defensive mistake and still be able to stay on the floor. Especially with all the other great things Leon does for this team.