Ray Allen Injures Ankle: Updates on Boston Celtics Sharpshooter

Doc Rivers has plenty of excuses this year.

His Boston Celtics have been plagued by injuries since the start of the season. Paul Pierce missed the first three games of the campaign, Jermaine O’Neal’s been nicked up and according to ESPN, Rajon Rondo is day-to-day and has missed their last two games. Those setbacks are some of the major reasons why the Celtics went into Sunday’s action with a devastating 5-9 record.

CSN’s A. Sherrod Blakely reported that another key Celtics player bit the dust against the Washington Wizards.

What It Means

Boston is screwed.

Ray Allen has been shooting lights-out from downtown this season at 56.5 percent. Their offense is bad enough with him on the floor. Losing the sharpshooter for a lengthened period of time would be a catastrophe.

On Monday, they’re set to face off against the Orlando Magic, and if Allen can’t suit up, Boston will be overpowered. Not only are Dwight Howard and Company 11-4, but they will be coming off a day of rest. The aging Celtics, on the other hand, will be playing for the second straight day after a game in which they had to keep pace with a young, athletic Wizards squad.

What Happens Next

It isn’t like the Celtics haven’t flipped the switch late in the season before, but in a shortened season, they’re digging themselves a hole that is going to be nearly impossible to climb out of if they continue this pace for much longer.

According to Mitch Lawrence of the NY Daily News, Boston ownership has given Danny Ainge the thumbs-up to terminate the Big Three. Rivers is running out of time to turn this ship around. If the Celtics continue to struggle, Ainge won’t hesitate to pull the trigger on a deal that makes them younger and better equipped to compete in the future.

Because, after all, they definitely aren’t competing right now.

David Daniels is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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