Why Allen left the Celts

[UConn990411]

The point was that Boston fans think that what's good for them/Boston is good for the athlete.

Um, you pretty much described every fan base since the beginning of time (including UConn fans).

 

[UConn990411]

You must have missed Felger and Mazz. Mazz was ruthless. The guy treated Clemens with more respect.

That's two people. Pretty much everyone else has come to his defense.

 

[Huskies4ever]

I think its a reach to say Ray's #20 would hang in the rafters. He was a better player on both Seattle and the Bucks and they at LEAST would have had to win another NBA championship (maybe) with Ray playing a major role (doubtful) for that to occur. Maybe Celtics hall of fame whatever that is or means but retired number is farfetched.

A mostly bad and annoying click-thru site Bleacher report comes up when searching for ring chasers. They name Malone and Payton among top-3 worst with Shaq #1. Interesting names on the list include
Artest - I think no as key player & starter needed a new team/identity
Mitch Richmond - won a ring as an almost unused reserve for Lakers in 02 so your bad case scenario, but honestly I don't think many people remember this of him.
Alonzo - I think the very best case of ring chasing as he came back from life threatening injury and his reserve role was necessary and a big part of ring.
Barkley - negative, but given how futile his teams had gotten in Philly I don't think he's blamed, he had to try something.
MFinley - He defected to a competitor so pretty similar to Ray, Finley did win but was never the same player - just desserts??!

Didn't even remember Mitch won a ring. He was such a great player in his prime.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Interesting list. Don't disagree with anything.

As for Ray's #20, a lot of people think that he hadn't earned it yet, but if he played another 2-3 years with the team and retired as a Celtic, they'd do it. Because you know #34 and #5 are going up there, so it would be kind of an insult to Ray to not do it. Kind or ironic to think of it that way.

Seriously, Nomar, how many #'s are the C's gonna have left after 5, 34, 20?

 

[Huskies4ever]

You must have missed Felger and Mazz. Mazz was ruthless. The guy treated Clemens with more respect.

There's a reason why nobody gives a poop about Felger and Mazz.

 

[Gurleyman]

I don't believe any leaks about a possible no-trade clause. Would be a stupid move by the Celtics and they aren't a stupid franchise. Perhaps I'm being stubborn in my refusal to believe it - but a $6 mil expiring contract would be a valuable commodity to a team looking to re-shape it's core in the next two years.

The ring-chasing thing has some element of truth to it, but it loses some of its teeth in my eyes due to the fact that the Clippers were involved as well before withdrawing and cutting his options, and due to the reality of the basketball fit. With Mike Miller probably done, the Heat had a vacancy they needed filling, and Ray was not getting many open looks with the Celtics any more. People didn't help off him when Rondo or Pierce drove and he wasn't able to free himself off the ball as much. Ray would have 8-point games in 35 minutes of PT, but it was because he would shoot 2-for-6, not 2-for-14 (ie not getting shots vs being cold).

Ray's value in free agency is also really only for contending teams. He's clearly an old "gun for hire", but old guns for hire are useless if they don't have some horses to ride.



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[champs99and04]

I gotta say, Ray has been one of my 2 favorite basketball players since he came to Storrs (look at my avatar), but he comes out of this looking like a little crybaby. Paul Pierce has heard his name floated in trade rumors, has been recruited by other teams and players, has played for some terrible teams, and kept his mouth shut and stayed loyal.

Yeah, I understand why Ray has been ticked off -- I can understand him not being pleased about being offered to Memphis and not getting along with Rondo (although, again, be a pro about it, dude), but the not-starting thing was a joke. Bradley out-played him.

I'm one of the few Sox fans who didn't think Damon "betrayed" us even though he "promised" to never sign with the Yanks. They offered him $10M more than the Sox did. It's hard to blame someone. He wasn't then a 40-year-old guy; he was still in his prime.

Here, on the other hand, as the article points out, the Celtics showed Ray a lot of respect this off-season. They offered him a nice deal, doubling the Heat. And there has been talk of a no-trade clause; so people can't say "he didn't want to be traded" until we find out whether or not the Celts actually offered to include a no-trade clause.

He just didn't want to hear it, I guess. The ship had sailed. He was looking for a new suitor to whisper sweet nothings in his ear. Have fun, Ray. I can't say I wish success for you, but good luck. You did what you had to do and I'll do what I have to: not be a big fan anymore.

I, like many others, feel that you are one of the better posters here. But for you to throw 16 years out the window because of a decision that he felt would benefit him and his family is, to put it nicely, weak. The writing was on the wall for Ray in Boston. Yeah, they offered him a decent paycheck, but with Terry coming in and Bradley likely returning some time in December, he was looking at a reduced role. Ray opting to head to Miami where he could shoot open threes and not play with a PG he hated, was in my estimation, logical.

I highly doubt this has much to do with Ray wanting his ego massaged - he felt that in Miami he would play a bigger role, with better teammates, in a nicer city. I think it's really as simple as that.

 

[Waquoit]

There's a reason why nobody gives a poop about Felger and Mazz.

I'm no fan, I just happened to catch the rant on TV. But they do get higher ratings than the Big Show.

 

[nomar]

Seriously, Nomar, how many #'s are the C's gonna have left after 5, 34, 20?

Once you get above #50, it's all smooth sailing! That's why E'Twaun Moore had #55 wide open for him (shockingly, Eric Williams didn't get that number retired...).

 

[nomar]

I'm getting killed in this thread...but I can understand it and take it. He's a Husky, and we Husky fans back our guys. That's why at the end of the day, I can be mad at Ray but I can't be that mad.

 

[JaYnYcE]

Ring chasing, d(i)ck riding, coat tail hanging. It's all the same thing.


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[Huskymaniac]

Ring chasing, d(i)ck riding, coat tail hanging. It's all the same thing.


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Were you dropped on your head as a baby?

 

[Huskymaniac]

He's clearly an old "gun for hire", but old guns for hire are useless if they don't have some horses to ride.

Ooooh, I like that! Did you make that up yourself? Either way, it is a perfect analogy.

 

[Huskymaniac]

I think this is exactly the type of thing you would expect to read from a UConn fan, but c'mon. Bradley was playing over Ray because Ray was a disaster with injuries down the stretch. He was giving them zero. Character and acting ability don't get you Ws in the playoffs. As far as loyalty goes, Pierce slogged it out on some awful teams (remember Vitaly Potapinko?) in some empty buildings and had his name thrown around in trades all the time and he stuck it out.

I'm happy for Ray that he's going to get another shot at a title but I'm also glad they've got one less ego to balance next year. I'm excited to see what Bradley can become.

So Clothy is back to using both of his aliases.......

By the way, umess fans can go back to hating Ray Allen again.......

 

[Gurleyman]

I hope you don't feel I'm piling on Nomar. Your points are fair an certainly discussion-worthy. Personally, I kinda wanted him to go to the Clippers - team with Caron and not create a soap opera that damages his image a bit. I didn't see Boston as a great fit for him any more, but if he stayed - I would have been content that he had a clear "team" to go into the HOF with.

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[Gurleyman]

Ooooh, I like that! Did you make that up yourself? Either way, it is a perfect analogy.

Just made it up on the fly. At first I said a hired gun is useless without bullets, but that didn't seem to work as well (that would be a better analogy for a situation where he never got the ball). I'm sure someone else thought of it before me somewhere on the internet, though.

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[JaYnYcE]

Were you dropped on your head as a baby?

I wouldn't know, I was a baby.


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[Joobie]

Of course, that's part of being a fan. I'm happy for Ray. He deserves better.

So...instead of playing with 1 arrogant punk, he gets to play with a WHOLE TEAM of them! Gotta question the wisdom of that!

 

[Huskies4ever]

I'm getting killed in this thread...but I can understand it and take it. He's a Husky, and we Husky fans back our guys. That's why at the end of the day, I can be mad at Ray but I can't be that mad.

Not only is Ray a Husky, but a most beloved one who's carried himself with nothing but class and dignity. Don't worry, as a Celtic fan your feelings are totally understandable. It's all good.

 

[Huskies4ever]

I'm no fan, I just happened to catch the rant on TV. But they do get higher ratings than the Big Show

Sure. J/k. When it comes to sports talk, we all tune in to someone cuz there is always something controversial.

 

[Huskies4ever]

So...instead of playing with 1 arrogant punk, he gets to play with a WHOLE TEAM of them! Gotta question the wisdom of that!

He gets to play for an organization that wants and appreciates him. James may be arrogant, but I don't think he's the punk Rondo is.

 

[Deadrody]

Here, on the other hand, as the article points out, the Celtics showed Ray a lot of respect this off-season. They offered him a nice deal, doubling the Heat. And there has been talk of a no-trade clause; so people can't say "he didn't want to be traded" until we find out whether or not the Celts actually offered to include a no-trade clause.

Making Jason Terry a higher priority than Ray ? That's showing him respect ? Don't think so. The only "respect" here is from the NBA that allows his former team to spend more money. Big deal.

 

[Deadrody]

This is just a real to the Celtics. Now, you may think the Celts deserve it by dangling Ray as trade bait (which I can understand) or not starting him (which anybody who watched Ray and Bradley play this past season cannot defend). But let's be clear: it was an to the players and coaches he played alongside, the guys who battled together for the last four years, who just fought a tough 7-games series against the hated Heat. Ray picked them over the Celts. Like I said, he's got the right to do it. And Celtics fans have the right to think it was a dick move.

Sorry, its not an "" move to sign with another team. Ray Allen did not owe A THING to the Boston Celtics.

And for the record, until Lebron / Wade / Bosh colluded to form an all star team to win a ring, it was universally thought that taking less money to play for a contender actually showed character as opposed to chasing dollar signs and putting winning secondary.

 

[nomar]

Thanks for your timely and utterly unpredictable response.

 

[caw]

Sorry, its not an "" move to sign with another team. Ray Allen did not owe A THING to the Boston Celtics.

And for the record, until Lebron / Wade / Bosh colluded to form an all star team to win a ring, it was universally thought that taking less money to play for a contender actually showed character as opposed to chasing dollar signs and putting winning secondary.

I'm not sure about that, people bashed Payton and Malone a bit also when they went to the Lakers (but they had zero rings when they did it).