Ray Allen: Future Hall of Famer Would Be Better off Signing with Heat
The Boston Celtics are ready to deal with life without Ray Allen, and the future hall of famer should assume the same posture. Signing with the Miami Heat is the most appropriate thing for Allen to do at this stage of his career.
Per Jeff Caplan and Marc Stein of ESPN, the Celtics are close to a three-year deal with Jason Terry.
Terry would presumably be playing the sixth-man role Allen played last season. The Celtics still have Avery Bradley, whom you assume would start next season as he did for most of last year. The Celtics are apparently still interested in inking Allen, but does he want to be the third shooting guard?
I'm thinking no, as he probably wasn't overjoyed with being the backup last season—especially not to Bradley.
Allen said this to Scott Souza of Metro West Daily News in April:
"I think my challenge is to be able to compete at a high level every year coming into the season and that means competing for a starting job every opportunity I get. That’s my focus. That’s my goal.
If I felt as though I wasn’t playing up to that level, and those standards, then I think there’s going to be a point where I’d have to say it’s time for me to move on.
"
He isn't going to get an opportunity to start for any contender realistically—except perhaps the Chicago Bulls, but even they haven't been mentioned recently.
Allen wants to win, and the Celtics have a legitimate shot. But most people wouldn't place Boston ahead of the Heat as favorites in the east. Allen can still be a weapon, especially in Miami.
He knows how to play the game and he spaces the floor. With LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, that's half the battle.
Whether Allen admits it or not, it would likely be much easier on his ego to play behind Wade than it would be to backup Bradley and Terry.
This is going to come down to how much Allen wants to remain a Celtic, and whether he'd be realistic about his ego and his chances of winning a championship.
If he's being real, he'll take his talents to South Beach.
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