Bulls Rumors: Chicago Would Be Ideal Fit for Ray Allen
The Chicago Bulls drafted sharpshooter Doug McDermott with the hopes he would develop into a Ray Allen-type of player from beyond the three-point line.
They may now get the real deal.
Jordan Schultz of The Huffington Post passed along the latest rumor surrounding the future Hall of Famer:
Don’t expect a decision from Allen soon if Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders is to be believed:
Allen can’t really go wrong with any of the choices Schultz reported.
Cleveland would give Allen the opportunity to reunite with LeBron James and drill three-pointers as defenders focus on James and Kevin Love. San Antonio would provide him the chance to play with the defending champs under the genius that is Gregg Popovich. Golden State has the best record in the NBA. Washington is 18-6 and looks like a long-term contender in the Eastern Conference.
However, Chicago represents an ideal situation for Allen, one that would prove beneficial for both the player and the team.
Depending on what Allen wants at the age of 39, he could either be a primary contributor for the Bulls at small forward or shooting guard or serve as a dependable role player who puts less minutes on his knees every game by coming off the bench.
After all, Jimmy Butler is the iron man in Chicago. He is averaging 39.6 minutes per game and is versatile enough to guard anyone from a point guard to a power forward. As long as Butler is healthy and on the roster to play nearly every minute of every game, there is not a pressing need for Allen to play significant minutes if he doesn’t want to at his age.
That is especially the case since Kirk Hinrich can play shooting guard alongside Derrick Rose when Butler is at small forward.
However, if Allen does want to play a significant role (which would make sense if he decides to come back at 39), small forward depth is a pressing question for the Bulls. McDermott and Tony Snell have been underwhelming behind Mike Dunleavy Jr., and Allen would immediately bolster that rotation.
In fact, underwhelming is putting it kindly since McDermott is scoring 3.2 points a night and, most disappointingly, shooting 23 percent from three-point range. Snell is an afterthought in the rotation and is scoring two points a game. What’s more, McDermott is now injured, which opens up even more potential playing time for Allen if he so desires.
The Bulls have a hole at wing depth behind Butler and Dunleavy, who is playing 31 minutes a game himself at age 34, and Allen has to recognize the opportunity is in place to play a major role for a title contender.
There is also a level of comfort already for Allen when it comes to coach Tom Thibodeau because of their time together in Boston when Thibodeau was an assistant coach.
Allen is a veteran who has likely played in some locker rooms with great chemistry and some without it, and familiarity with the coach could go a long way toward impacting his decision.
Allen would also have the chance to be something of a mentor in Chicago. McDermott was brought in to shoot threes, and Allen could take the Creighton product under his wing for the remainder of the season and serve as a leader.
Thibodeau discussed Allen’s leadership, via Mike Singer of CSNChicago.com:
"When we were in Boston, in 2008, that was a great practice team. They were unreal. Maybe the best practice team I was ever with. They had (Kevin) Garnett, who was incredible. But you also had (Paul) Pierce and Ray Allen, and they were great leaders. They worked at it every day and wouldn’t let anyone take a day off.
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Even as a potential leader, Allen wouldn’t be asked to do more than what he is best at in Chicago.
The Bulls already have the defending Defensive Player of the Year in Joakim Noah and one of the league’s best perimeter defenders in Butler. Allen will never be expected to guard the opponent’s best player, which can be physically grinding for a 25-year-old, let alone someone who is 39 with years of NBA miles on his legs.
Instead, he can simply drill three-pointers when Rose penetrates and forces the defense to collapse or when Noah and Pau Gasol find him from the high elbow. Shooting is still what Allen does best, and he is likely looking for a place with plenty of weapons around him that would open up some looks from deep.
Allen would have the flexibility in Chicago to either play a major part in the push toward the title or serve as a role player, depending on what would be ideal for him at this stage in his career. He would also have the chance to be a veteran leader and a direct mentor for a future sharpshooter in the league.
Most importantly, if Allen chose the Bulls, he would have the opportunity to drill threes for one of the NBA’s most dangerous championship contenders.
That should ultimately matter more than anything else.
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