Player Preview: Ray Allen

By KC Downey in Celtics ⋅ September 24, 2007 at 3:01am ⋅ Post a comment

New Celtics guard Ray Allen, above, has never been to the NBA finals.(Courtesy of NBA.com)

Star of the movie “He Got Game” as basketball star Jesus Shuttlesworth, Celtics guard Ray Allen now embarks on a new chapter of his career. He won a little bit in his time with the Bucks and Sonics, but this is his best chance to win an NBA Championship, and he’s doing it right here in Boston. As Jesus Shuttlesworth, Allen had dreams of making it as a pro basketball player, but his thoughts were often haunted by the death of his mother at the hands of his father. As far as we know, Ray Allen’s real-life character has no off-the-court distractions like Jesus, and with his head clear and eyes looking forward, perhaps we are looking at one of the top shooting guards in the NBA. One thing Jesus and Allen could agree on is their view of basketball: “Basketball is like poetry in motion, cross the guy to the left, take him back to the right, he’s fallin’ back, then just J right in his face. Then you look at him and say, ‘What?’” Can Allen realize what Jesus never could?

Teamed with stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, Allen may be poised for his most efficient season yet. The key to Allen’s game is his perimeter shooting. In the past, he had a hard time of getting open, as he hasn’t been paired with the star power he is now. He had Michael Redd with him in Milwaukee, and Rashard Lewis with him in Seattle, but to have two superstars at his disposal will do wonders for his looks. By default, he’ll receive more open looks when playing with both Pierce and Garnett, as the opponent will have to decide who to concentrate on.

Allen is no pushover himself, and is a good player with or without the talent around him. A 1st-round pick out of UConn in 1996, Allen has been a dominant scorer throughout his career. “Jesus” has averaged more than 20 points per game in every season since 1999-2000. Last season, if not for injuries, would probably be classified as a career year for Allen. He averaged a personal-best 26.4 points to go along with 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.

His perimeter game is among the most prolific in NBA history: 1920 career 3-pointers to go along with a 39.7 career 3-pt field goal percentage. Allen’s lethal outside shot has caused opponents to respect his shot. With defenders guarding him close, that leaves the lane more open for someone to slash through. This kind of scenario would be very nice for the C’s this season, as Allen could dish it to Pierce or Garnett or anyone else with the foresight to slash toward the hoop.

This season, the most anticpated for the Celtics in quite some time, could be very special for a lot of the players. No one on the active roster (except James Posey) has tasted NBA Finals action, Allen included. He should have another prolific shooting year, and his ankles should be totally healed. It helps that the bench is relatively deep at the shooting guard position, where Posey and Tony Allen can give Ray necessary rests.

Ray Allen’s player projection for 2007-2008: