Ray

[Husky68]

Ray didn't like the offensive strategy. Rondo with string on ball, Pierce isolation, KG spot up jump shooting. Ray was last option on offense and 1st option as trade bait. It says it all, rather play in Miami at way less money. Name another NBA player that has done that.

 

[Pudge]

I followed this really closely and the truth is somewhere in between. Comes down to the simple fact that Ray took less money to go to Miami - why would he do that? Because it was a better basketball situation for him. Celtics were moving away from running him off screens as feature part of the offense and Paul Pierce was the one preferred for creating a shot with the ball, not Ray. In his defense Ray proved he could still do this for a stretch at beginning of last season and/or when Pierce was out. Post signing, Ray has complained about mistreatment (underutilized) which may be partially true (and not getting along with Rondo which seems definitely true), BUT Ray himself chose to go to Miami where he is going to be more of a stand there type shooter which is perfectly appropriate for this point in his career. Ray's man never had to leave him in Boston whereas in Miami Ray's defender is going to have to help. All boils down to that in my opinion.

But this is not true of his role in Miami.

"stand there type shooter"? He has been far more versatile in the first few games than he was in the last year & half with Boston. I won't say money doesn't matter ... but this divorce was about clearing yourself to be able to feel like you have the capacity to play. He's in a better place; the Celtics weren't going to use him all that much.

 

[UConn990411]

I thought there was one other issue- the supposed trade rumors which could have sent Ray to a noncompetitive team.

Last season, Ainge had completed a trade that would've sent Ray to Memphis. I'd say that was a competitive team.

By comparison, he was on the verge of trading Pierce - who's been on the Celtics for 14 years - to New Jersey for a draft pick. The Nets were not a competitive team.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Last season, Ainge had completed a trade that would've sent Ray to Memphis. I'd say that was a competitive team.

Memphis was not is not competing for a trip to the Finals.

 

[UConn990411]

Ray didn't like the offensive strategy. Rondo with string on ball, Pierce isolation, KG spot up jump shooting. Ray was last option on offense and 1st option as trade bait. It says it all, rather play in Miami at way less money. Name another NBA player that has done that.

Ray averaged nearly 11 shots per game last year. No one on the Celtics averaged more than 15.

He was mad because they didn't run enough plays for him (Ironically, the Heat don't run any plays for him. Or any plays.), despite the fact that he couldn't create any offense for himself. And he didn't like that he was benched for Avery Bradley...even though he was starting until he had bone spurs again.

If he wanted to go play for Miami, fine. That was his choice. But he needs to stop acting like the Celtics mistreated him.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Ray didn't like the offensive strategy. Rondo with string on ball, Pierce isolation, KG spot up jump shooting. Ray was last option on offense and 1st option as trade bait. It says it all, rather play in Miami at way less money. Name another NBA player that has done that.

But this is not true of his role in Miami.

"stand there type shooter"? He has been far more versatile in the first few games than he was in the last year & half with Boston. I won't say money doesn't matter ... but this divorce was about clearing yourself to be able to feel like you have the capacity to play. He's in a better place; the Celtics weren't going to use him all that much.

Both of these posts state exactly how I feel, and what I've been posting since Ray signed with Miami. I think Ray has a lot of pride, and feels he can provide a lot more offense for a team than the C's were allowing him to utilize. He's 37 and coming off ankle surgery. If you're running him off screens, you better get him the ball when he's got a wide open three. He was getting the ball less and less often over the last year and a half.

 

[Waquoit]

We'll see what happens, but I suspect that the Eastern Conference Finals will come down to Miami-Boston. Both teams should be better than last season, which is scary.

How are the C's better without Ray?

 

[Huskies4ever]

Ray averaged nearly 11 shots per game last year. No one on the Celtics averaged more than 15.

He was mad because they didn't run enough plays for him (Ironically, the Heat don't run any plays for him. Or any plays.), despite the fact that he couldn't create any offense for himself. And he didn't like that he was benched for Avery Bradley...even though he was starting until he had bone spurs again.

If he wanted to go play for Miami, fine. That was his choice. But he needs to stop acting like the Celtics mistreated him.

Being benched for Avery Bradley sounds like mistreatment to me. He was being given a lesser role. How is that not mistreatment. He knows he can provide more than the Celtics wanted from him.

 

[UConn990411]

How are the C's better without Ray?

They're not better without Ray - they're better because their bench now consists of Jason Terry, Bradley/Lee, Jeff Green, and Brandon Bass, as opposed to Keyon Dooling, Mickael Pietrus (not signed yet), Marquis Daniels/Sasha Pavlovic (garbage), and Greg Stiemsa/Ryan Hollins (literally one of the worst rebounding bigs ever).

 

[Huskies4ever]

How are the C's better without Ray?

They got Terry, Lee, Green is back, Barbosa, and Sullinger.

 

[UConn990411]

Being benched for Avery Bradley sounds like mistreatment to me. He was being given a lesser role. How is that not mistreatment. He knows he can provide more than the Celtics wanted from him.

Did you not read what I said? Bradley became a starter when Ray was OUT with an ankle injury. Ray was never close to 100% when he came back, so Bradley kept his starting spot.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Did you not read what I said? Bradley became a starter when Ray was OUT with an ankle injury. Ray was never close to 100% when he came back, so Bradley kept his starting spot.

They could've given Ray his starting spot back. He was still getting major minutes and they were playing him the same way before he got injured. All the talk was that this was the C's future, Rondo/Bradley with Ray coming off the bench.

 

[UConn990411]

They could've given Ray his starting spot back. He was still getting major minutes and they were playing him the same way before he got injured. All the talk was that this was the C's future, Rondo/Bradley with Ray coming off the bench.

Because the Celtics were a significantly better team with Bradley starting, and Ray could barely even practice when he came back. It was the right decision by Doc.

 

[RayRay19]

it worked out for both teams...the only downside is he can kiss having his jersey retired in Boston...

 

[Joobie]

Spot on 4ever!!!!..............I'm happy for Ray, especially after the way he's been treated by Garnett, Rivers, Ainge and Heinsohn ..........they're playing real well without him too!!

It's true that Ray was slighted by the Celtics front office, but I don't think you can include Heinsohn. I read that Tommy & Bob Cousy or maybe it was Havlicek that was advocating to have Ray's #20 retired in Boston. I'd say that's pretty special!

Just reread the article. It was Bob Cousy. Pretty cool!

 

[mauconnfan]

It's true that Ray was slighted by the Celtics front office, but I don't think you can include Heinsohn. I read that Tommy & Bob Cousy or maybe it was Havlicek that was advocating to have Ray's #20 retired in Boston. I'd say that's pretty special!

Just reread the article. It was Bob Cousy. Pretty cool!

Maybe but Tommy Points has been backhanding Ray every chance he can get from exhibition games until now.........No matter having Cousy and Hondo's support is very special!!

 

[Huskies4ever]

Because the Celtics were a significantly better team with Bradley starting, and Ray could barely even practice when he came back. It was the right decision by Doc.

So.......Ray was still slighted. Maybe they didn't utilize him properly. I like Doc Rivers. He is a great coach. You are a Celtics fan, right? Try putting yourself in Ray Allen's shoes. Even today, he is a better player than Bradley.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Maybe but Tommy Points has been backhanding Ray every chance he can get from exhibition games until now.........No matter having Cousy and Hondo's support is very special!!

I haven't been following, but what has Tommy said? Ray would have earned a big time Tommy Point against Denver when he dove on the floor, ripped a loose ball out of a Denver player's hands, and got it off to one of his teammates in the final minute plus.

 

[UConn990411]

So.......Ray was still slighted. Maybe they didn't utilize him properly. I like Doc Rivers. He is a great coach. You are a Celtics fan, right? Try putting yourself in Ray Allen's shoes. Even today, he is a better player than Bradley.

He was not a better player the second half of last season. He couldn't keep anyone in front of him because of the ankle.

 

[Huskies4ever]

He was not a better player the second half of last season. He couldn't keep anyone in front of him because of the ankle.

Who cares about last season?!!!! It was not going to change this season!!! Henceforth, Ray left. They would have started Bradley over Ray. That was their plan for the future.
I still don't see how they were better with Bradley, than Ray. Are you saying that the C's would have beat the Heat if they benched Ray in favor of Bradley?

 

[UConn990411]

What is confusing about this? Bradley was a much better player at the end of last season, largely because Ray was only 50%. There's no question Bradley should've started when Ray came back.

The irony is Ray would have started if he came back to Boston this year. And probably would have kept his spot when Bradley is healthy in December/January.

 

[UChusky916]

They weren't that interested in him so they offered him twice as much as Miami did? Makes perfect sense. Ray wasn't "mistreated" by anybody, certainly not Doc Rivers. ***** this is getting ridiculous.

He was never mistreated? He dealt with trade rumors for the past 2-3 seasons, was always considered an aging player that retained some value, a good piece to be moved.

Celts went out and acquired Jason Terry whose role is basically the same as Allen's. This obviously implied he'd be seeing less of the court.

The Celts were never really interesting in resigning Allen. Only when the Heat got serious with him did the Celts throw that money at him, just so that they could say "SEE, WE WANT YOU BACK!"

Ray is a wise man and knew that having money thrown at him is not a sign of respect.

This, coupled with the fact that that Rondo didn't know how to get Allen the ball after working hard off screens, was enough for him. And I dont blame him.

Hope he on the celtics on his way to getting a few more rings.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I love Ray Allen as a player, my favorite Husky ever to watch in the NBA. However all I said was that he was MORE of a spot-up type shooter and people go crazy objecting. He can drive, he can come off screens, etc.. I know he can, but the man is 37 years old and he is UNQUESTIONABLY THE BEST SPOT-UP SHOOTER IN THE NBA. So he chose to got to a team where he'd have more open catch and shoot opportunities as perfectly illustrated by his 4-point play the other night. Same situation in Boston and the play is designed for Pierce (as in Miami it was for LeBron) but Pierce doesn't draw a double and Ray doesn't get the ball UNLESS they diagrammed a play for Ray. The Celtics were doing less of this (but not none) partially because Rondo is the emerging player and he is not a drive and dish to 3 type - more likely to pass to cutters. Avery Bradley was clicking with Rondo last year because of his slashing ability and Avery Bradley is a very good defender. He gives you different things than Ray Allen and assuming he is healthy its at minimum an understandable business decision to choose Bradley (TWENTY ONE years old) over 37yr old Ray Allen.

None of these things make the Celtics or Rondo bad players or disrespectful towards Ray Allen. He simply wasn't AS good of a FIT for the Celtics as he is for the Miami Heat and that is MOSTLY why he is on the Miami Heat. I think the Celtics even knew that losing Ray would make them worse initially and quite possibly for all of 2012-13. Undeniably it lowers their title chances because even if the four-headed Terry/Lee/Barbosa/Bradley monster is better than Ray Allen, the Celtics #1 competitor got better. Ray Allen made a very smart basketball decision based on style of play, his skillset over the next 3yrs and his #1 goal which is to win.

 

[UConn990411]

Spot on, Dog.

As a Celtics fan, I understand Ray's decision, even if it is still painful to accept. I just think it's absurd when people say he was mistreated in any way by the Celtics (which, SHOCKINGLY, only people on this board make that claim).

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Are you saying that the C's would have beat the Heat if they benched Ray in favor of Bradley?

Had Bradley been healthy they would have beaten Miami. He would have started over Ray because he was better than Ray, who was playing on one leg.

It's always amusing when people who play the "it's just business" card about a player that didn't go to UConn instead go on and on about how mean the Celtics were to Ray. It's a joke. He couldn't stay healthy and Bradley gave them a better chance to win. Ray clearly wanted to be in Miami and now he's there. End of story. All this trash about disrespect is a product - frankly - of Ray airing out his hurt feelings well after the fact.