Ray Allen: Assessing and Debunking His Reasons for Leaving the Boston Celtics

Ray Allen is gone. The only question Celtics fans are left with is why.

Why did Ray Allen decide to take his talents to South Beach?

People have speculated as to why he made the move and left us, with many possible reasons for his departure.

But, were these "reasons" enough to drive Ray out of Boston or were they just excuses that carried no real weight?

Let's assess each of his reasons to see how real each one was. 

He Was Upset About Losing His Starting Job

It would make sense that a future Hall of Famer would be upset about losing his starting job to a a 21-year-old kid.

The fact of the matter is that Bradley deserved to start over Allen. For a good part of the second-half of the season, Allen was injured and Bradley was making a big impact in his place.

Defensively, Bradley was in a class of his own, routinely shutting down opposing guards and rattling offenses with his full-court defense.

On the other hand, while Allen was still a knock-down shooter, he was injured and nearly on the other end of the spectrum in terms of defensive prowess. 

Plus, at some point the Celtics needed to develop a replacement for the aging Ray Allen, especially considering the possibility he might leave.

And it wasn't like Ray never played.

He was the first off the bench and got the same amount of minutes as when he was starting.

Therefore, this is weak excuse for leaving the Celtics. 

His Relationship with Rajon Rondo Was Deteriorating

Supposedly, the relationship between Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen played a huge role in Allen leaving.

Some suggest that it was because Allen did not want to take orders from someone with just about a decade less of experience.

According to J.A. Adande of ESPN, Allen was upset that Rondo was not getting him the ball enough.

Now, I can somewhat understand not wanting to take orders from a 26-year-old. Although, in Miami he will be led by a 27-year-old LeBron James.

But to even suggest that Rondo not sharing the ball enough was a legitimate reason for Allen to leave is downright ludicrous.

If Ray Allen wasn't content with how many touches he was getting with the best passer in the league running the point, then all I have to say to him is this: have fun with Mario Chalmers. 

He Wanted a Larger Role

I'm not sure whether or not the Heat promised Ray Allen a starting job, but logistically, it would make no sense for him to start.

The only way it would be possible is if Dwyane Wade started the game at point guard, which isn't likely. 

So assuming the Heat won't make big changes to their starting lineup, Allen is looking at the same role in Miami as he had in Boston: sixth man.

If a bigger role was really that important to him, then he made a mistake by going to Miami.

He Thought Jason Terry Was His Replacement

If Ray Allen thought that the Celtics were going to halt all other deal making and let good players slip through the cracks in an attempt to re-sign him, then he was crazy.

It's Danny Ainge's job to build a contending team every season. 

This offseason, a big concern of the Celtics was depth, something they lacked greatly in the playoffs.

Couple that with the fact that Allen returning was no certainty, plus the signing of Jason Terry, it makes perfect sense.

If Allen didn't re-sign, then Terry would be the sixth man. If he did re-sign, then the Celtics are as deep as anyone at the shooting guard position.

Well, Ray didn't exactly see it this way. He thought he would rot away on the bench while Terry took his role.

But he should have known that there was no way a great coach like Doc Rivers would be unable to find minutes for the best three-point shooter ever. 

He Was Upset by Trade Rumors

Right before the trade deadline, Allen was nearly traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for O.J. Mayo.

However, the trade never went through and he remained a Celtic. Still, the fact that he was almost traded really shook him, which is understandable. 

A fear of being traded again would definitely be a reason to leave Boston, only the Celtics offered him a no-trade clause.

That would have made him one of only two other players with such a clause—the others being Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant.

This makes yet another one of Allen's reasons for leaving invalid. 

He Wanted to Win a Championship

Despite the fact that Miami, as the reigning champs, has the best chance of winning it all again next year, this reason still makes me angry.

The Celtics came the closest of any team to beating the Heat.

Yet Allen, instead of taking another shot at a championship with his teammates and a revamped Celtics roster, joined the team he'd just lost to.

From a competitive standpoint, it blows my mind. A real competitor would have re-joined his old team for at least one more shot at winning it all.

Instead, he took the easy way out and rather than trying to beat the Heat, he joined them.

It would be poetic justice if the Celtics ended up beating the Heat in the playoffs next season.