| Ray Allen Finally Adjusts To The Shamrock Authored by Randolph Charlotin - December 8, 2008 - 5:43 pm
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Without sixth man James Posey, Tony Allen stepped up as a two-way player. Allen regularly defends the opponent’s best offensive perimeter player. And while he’s not the shooter Posey is, Allen is proving to be a versatile scorer.
With a year under their belts, Leon Powe and Glen Davis upped their production and consistency as well. Being undersized at the center and power forward positions hasn’t been a problem for the physical pair. Davis used his girth well in frustrating Houston’s Yao Ming. And Powe’s aggressive post play bounces defenders back as Powe clears space to get his short hooks and floaters to the rim.
But the biggest difference for the 2008-09 Celtics is the team can count on the Big Three.
Make no mistake. Kevin Garnett transforms into KG every night from the moment he steps onto the floor.
And Paul Pierce morphs into The Truth in clutch situations, heroically saving Boston from the clutches of defeat.
But for much of last season it was just Garnett and Pierce playing hero for Boston. Wearing Celtic Green had a kryptonite-like effect on Ray Allen.
No one questioned the talent and experience assembled by Celtics director of basketball operations Danny Ainge last year when he pulled off the trades that united Kevin and Ray with Paul. But the biggest question was how well would these three superstars mesh. Each individual had to sacrifice to make it work.
The adjustments for Pierce and Garnett appeared seamless, as they quickly learned to execute coach Doc Rivers’ game plans. But Ray Allen struggled. According to Rivers, Ray had to sacrifice the most out of the three. Allen had a hard time figuring out where he fit in. Being a spot-up shooter wasn’t comfortable for him.
The numbers reflected his problems. A career .447 shooter before arriving in Boston, Allen’s shooting dropped to .416 in his first 20 games. There were some highlights along the way, like game winning three-pointers over the Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Bobcats, but Ray couldn’t figure out how to make his game mesh with the rest of the team.
The low point was shooting 0-9 with two point from the free throw line in a win over the Memphis Grizzlies. In search of a bounce-back, two of his next three games were single digit efforts.
For the season Allen was inconsistent, shooting .600 one night, then .200 the next. The problem carried into the playoffs and he hit his low point in the seven game series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs set out to take Allen out of his game and were very effective doing so. Allen shot .291 and mustered single digits in three of the seven games, including zero points in the series opener.
More of the same was expected from Ray after a nine-point ripple in a game one win over the Pistons. But then he exploded for 25 on .563 shooting in game two. It was the first real sign that Ray found his place on the Celtics. And he gained strength as the series progressed. In half of the games against the Pistons he shot .500 or better.
By the NBA Finals, “Ray Gun” was back. He melted the nets at a .510 clip as Ray and the Celtics ran away with the Championship. His shooting display in the game six clincher was a statement as well as a warning of what’s to come in ’08-‘09.
Allen is shooting .491 and has led the team in scoring in six of the last eight games. The difference isn’t just in the numbers. Ray handles the ball more, will take his defender off the dribble, and the mid-range jumper is part of his arsenal. Allen, always known as a premiere shooter, is a scorer non pararelli.
And with Allen’s return to the pantheon of the NBA’s best players, he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Garnett and Pierce.
They were immediately dubbed the Big Three as soon the trades brought them together. They play like it now that Ray Allen found out the sacrifice needed to fit in was to not give up being himself.
Randolph Charlotin can be contacted at lordrc@verizon.net. |
