Ray Allen Wouldn’t Oppose Celtics Reunion

One of the greatest shooters of all-time wouldn’t oppose coming back to Boston

Ray Allen is one of the greatest shooters of all-time. As of now, he has made more threes than anyone, has two championships and made one of the greatest three-pointers to force a Game Seven in the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat. Allen hasn’t played in the past two seasons, although he’s still not counting out a comeback.

Reports have surfaced that Allen was possibly looking at joining the Golden State Warriors or teaming back up with LeBron James in Cleveland. However, according to the Hartford Courant, Allen wouldn’t be opposed to joining the Milwaukee Bucks, the team he started his career with, or the Boston Celtics, where he won his first championship.

He told the Hartford Courant, “I would love going back to those places if it worked out, because both teams are good, too. It doesn’t necessarily have to be championship-or-bust for me to go back to the NBA.” Allen also added, “I want to be in a situation where I thought I could help, play a little bit and help where they have good young talent.”

This wouldn’t be the first time that the Celtics tried to help an older shooter make a comeback. According to the Boston Globe, in the summer of 2007, Danny Ainge tried to convince Reggie Miller to come out of retirement at 41-years-old to give the Celtics experienced shooting. Ainge stated that he wanted another shooter on the team who wasn’t afraid to take shots at critical moments.

If Allen wanted to come back, some team would be willing to give the 41-year-old a chance. While he’s far from the shooter he once was, Allen could still provide a team with an excellent veteran presence in the locker room and possibly outside shooting. Although, contrary to what Allen said above, winning a third title and adding to his already Hall-of-Fame resume would be why he would make an NBA comeback rather than just retiring.

While the Celtics aren’t a championship team, they are getting closer very quickly and Allen would be an amazing mentor for a lot of their younger players. He has always been one of the fittest athletes in the NBA, which is why an NBA comeback seems plausible at his age. Allen has never been one to let his body get even a little bit out of shape, therefore his body still has a chance to hold up for an entire NBA season.

He wouldn’t have to run around like he use to, rather be a kick-out option and three-point specialist. Although, the biggest question about his ability to still compete at a high-level comes on the defensive end. While Allen will have a minimal role for Boston, or any team he signs with, he would still be tasked with guarding NBA players that could be 10-to-15 years younger.

Even though his body is still in great shape, it gets harder and harder for athletes to keep up with younger athletes because their bodies break down naturally. I don’t doubt Allen’s passion or his willingness to accept a minimal role off the bench as a mentor, but it’s hard to imagine him having a major impact on-the-court.

As previously noted, Allen’s biggest impact will be felt in the locker room. Adding a veteran that knows what it takes to be great and win would be huge for a team lacking veterans who have gone deep in the playoffs. Sure, Al Horford went to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Atlanta Hawks a couple of years ago, however he doesn’t own the track record that Allen does. Besides, Allen was a key part of the Celtics 2008 championship team and a specialist during the 2013 Miami Heat championship. Therefore, he knows both roles, making him an even better possibility as a mentor to younger players.

What it comes down to is if Boston wants to use their final roster spot on Ray Allen. Right now R.J. Hunter, James Young, Abdel Nader and Ben Bentil are all competing for the 15th roster spot. Sure, none of their names carry the same weight as Ray Allen but the possibility of losing that potential is worrisome.

While only one of the four will make the Celtics anyways, the other three won’t be affiliated with the Celtics anymore. They will likely still stay in Maine and compete for a roster spot next season, however they’d be free to sign with another team. While Allen’s veteran presence is unmatchable, it might not be the right time for the Celtics, just like with Reggie Miller during the summer of 2007.

Keeping one of the young players on the roster to try to develop would hold greater weight than a veteran who will rarely see the court. Besides, Allen’s veteran presence and one trick pony game would be more beneficial if the Celtics were competing for a title this season. If Boston didn’t have uncharacteristic depth, then trying to sway Ray Allen back to Boston would be a solid option.

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However, the Celtics need to find out what they have in their young players sooner than later. Besides, Boston brought back Gerald Green who will be a bigger contributor in other areas than Allen. Plus, there’s no guarantee that Allen will be as dominating from three during his return.

After shooting an outstanding 45.3 percent from three during his last season in Boston, his three-point percentage decreased during each season with Miami. During his last season with the Heat, Allen shot a mediocre 37.5 percent from three. Pair that with minimal time and being away from the game for two years, and it’s near certain that Allen should decide to join a team like Golden State or Cleveland and have his main role be another positive voice in the locker room.

Bringing back a veteran who has become a one trick pony is something teams on the brink of a championship do. That’s why the Celtics tried to convince Reggie Miller to come out of retirement and why Golden State and Cleveland have been strong favorites if Allen were to make a comeback.

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Boston still needs to make a couple of moves before they’re true title contenders, and Allen won’t get them any closer. There’s no doubting he could be a useful tool on a winning team, but Boston needs players who can perform on-the-court, not just another veteran presence in an already very tightly knit locker room.