Boston Celtics: Pass Ray Allen the Ball

If Ray Allen won't say it, I will.

Pass Ray the ball!!!

I've seen it before, but it was more apparent than ever last night. It's the fourth quarter, the stage was set for Jesus Shuttlesworth vs. Kobe in an all-out shoot-out. At the time Kobe had 26 and Ray had 25, both had been hot all game.

Then the Celtics played their best defense against their own player by not even looking his way to pass him the ball. Ray Allen ended up with three shot attempts in the fourth quarter—and it had absolutely nothing to do with the Lakers defense.

It would be another thing if there was another Celtic at least halfway decent on the court but it wasn't even close. Ray Allen was the only guy who kept them in that game last night, and they (Doc Rivers and players) thanked him by fading him out.

There wasn't one play I saw late in the fourth where they were actually looking for him to get the ball—especially when Paul Pierce got the ball. Pierce would come up court, run a pick and roll, see three defenders off of the pick, and try to take them all on in hopes of a foul.

"That's just where the offense went," he said. "I think from a coaching perspective, that's where the plays were directed. That's what we ran. For me, any time my number gets called, I'm going to be ready to shoot the ball."

That was Ray after the game. What he should've said was:

"I shot 8-13, Paul and Kevin shot 8-35 between them, its obvious that they were having the better shooting night, because for some reason the plays we ran in the fourth quarter were for them and not for me."

That's what I would have said.

If your running plays to give Kevin Garnett jump shots, especially jump shots he hasn't made since game 1, then I have to question your motive.

The Lakers have no big man that can even attempt to guard KG in the post or in an isolation. However if Big Kev is taking jump shots rather than taking his 7'1 butt down in the paint, why is this guy who can dominate the paint taking the jump shots that Ray Allen could be taking—but that's another story.

No I am not saying to run your offense through Ray Allen, but if the man is hot and you have a chance to win through him, then ride on his shoulders like you were in the first three quarters and let him get some plays.

He shouldn't have to wait till the bench comes in and then you run plays for him. If you are going to settle for jumpshots, I'd rather settle with him shooting them than with a cold KG, Pierce, and the rest of the Celtics team.

Someone asked Allen, wasn't your number called in the fourth quarter?

"What you saw is what we got," he said.

In lamen terms, NO!