HH Tournament: (7) Ray Allen vs (10) Cedric Maxwell

Ray Allen and Cedric Maxwell is the final matchup of the first round

John Havlicek, to not surprise, easily cruised to a victory yesterday. In the final matchup of the first round of the Hardwood Houdini Tournament, Ray Allen and Cedric Maxwell will battle to advance to take on Havlicek. Following this matchup, we will go back to Side A for Round Two.

Don’t forget that this is based solely off their playing careers with the Boston Celtics. Any coaching or front office experience shouldn’t be taken into account, neither should their collegiate careers or any other NBA teams they may have played for.

Ray Allen – 3x All-Star

16.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 40.9 3P%

5 Seasons with Boston, 1x Champion, 3x All-Star

Many regard Ray Allen as the greatest shooter of all-time. He didn’t have his best years in Boston, but Allen was very successful over five seasons. Danny Ainge acquired him in a blockbuster trade at the start of the offseason heading into the 2007-08 season. Allen had always been one of the best sharpshooters in the NBA and he added shooting and leadership to the Celtics.

Allen never averaged 20 points per game with the Celtics, however he only failed to reach 15 points per night once and had some of his best shooting seasons with the Celtics. In fact, his 40.9 three-point percentage during his time with Boston was the highest on any team he played for. He shot at least 39 percent in four of his five seasons and shot 44.4 and 45.3 percent in each of his final two seasons with the Celtics.

Allen was the third option on the Big Three for the Celtics, but his three-point stroke could not be matched. He didn’t have a huge impact on the glass or as a playmaker, but providing solid defense and consistent sharpshooting night in and night out was all the Celtics needed from him. With Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and a solid bench, Allen didn’t need to score 20 points per night.

In the playoffs, though, Ray Allen shined even more. He only averaged 15.6 points per game during the Celtics 2008 title run, but he averaged more than 18 points per game in each of their next three postseasons. He also led the playoffs in three-point percentage during the 2010-11 playoffs when he shot an insane 57.1 percent from deep over nine games.

Allen didn’t fail to make a mark on every team he played for throughout his career. He did so in Boston as the sharpshooter every team needs to compete for a title. He still ranks third in threes made, three-point and free-throw percentage (91.4 percent) in Celtics history.

It wasn’t the best years of his career but he was an integral part to the Celtics 2008 championship team. Arguably the greatest shooter in NBA history, he proved that title during his Hall of Fame worthy career and stint with the Celtics.

Cedric Maxwell – 1981 Finals MVP

13.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.3 APG

8 Seasons with Boston, 2x Champion, #31 Retired by Celtics

After being the 12th overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, Cedric Maxwell became a solid starter for the Celtics during his first eight NBA seasons. The 6-8 small forward was a key part to two titles with the Celtics as he started 71.5 percent of his 607 games played. He had a chance to put up much better numbers but wasn’t given a huge role with Larry Bird and a plethora of Hall of Fame talent on the roster.

Despite never making an All-NBA or All-Star Team, Maxwell put up solid numbers over his career. He led the league in field-goal percentage in two of his first three seasons. During his third season in the NBA, Maxwell shot 60.9 percent from the field – on his way to averaging 16.9 points per game.

Maxwell was known for being a deadly scorer in the paint. He had a nice pump fake that would get defenders in the air and leave the basket wide open for an easy layup. It led to him shooting an outstanding 55.9 percent from the field over his career with the Celtics, despite never developing much of an outside shot.

He averaged double-digit points every season following his rookie year, including 19 points and 9.9 rebounds per game during his second season. He was always a solid contributor on the glass and scoreboard, although, as previously mentioned, never got a chance at stardom playing under so many great players.

Maxwell was one of the most clutch players on the team, though. He was named the 1980-81 Finals MVP and averaged 16.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game during their playoff run. That came a year after he averaged a double-double in the postseason as a rookie.

In Celtics history, Maxwell still ranks second in field-goal percentage, fourth in offensive rebounds, eighth in defensive rebounds and ninth in blocks.

Maxwell was never able to reach stardom, but he still put together a very good career. He put up solid stats every season and was one of the most efficient scorers of his era. His play was never recognized by the league but there’s no denying he was a key player on the Celtics for eight seasons.

Don’t forget to vote on Twitter @HoudiniCeltics! The poll is up for 20 hours. Comments on here don’t count as votes, only the poll on Twitter will be looked at to determine who goes on to round two.

Next: Top Five Coaches in Celtics History

Also, look at tomorrow’s match-up to see the results from today’s showdown.