Ray Allen joins the Heat
Awesome. I was scared the pressure Allen would face to come back to the Celtics would win out, but this is an awesome pickup for the HEAT. He is going to get so many open looks with the HEAT. Wade, Allen, Battier, LeBron, Bosh is a very scary lineup.
Well the word was not too long ago that Rajon Rondo was so extremely difficult to coach and deal with in general. That was supposedly the main reason his names were coming up in trade rumors such as Rondo for Chris Paul and Rondo for Russell Westbrook.
This is HUGE for the Heat, remember, even after their great championship run, they do have some glaring flaws, and one of those was depth, with a dead eye shooter on board and potentially Marcus Camby joining as well, their depth issues may be on their way to being solved.
What we saw from Battier in the Finals, Miller in game 5 is what Ray Allen can do. He can still ball. The surgery he's getting right now he's gotten before, in the summer of 2007, the last time he switched teams. He'll be a 12 ppg guy taht hits 2 threes a game off the bench, and hopefully he'll give the Heat some much needed consistency out of out of bounds plays, because they don't really have any solid out of bounds plays, and with Ray now they have the best out-of-timeout shooter in the game.
Ray has paid his dues to the game and he has the right to go whereever he wants. I know they're rivals, but he is a winner, and as much as this hurts Boston fans, and as much as they loved him, he was an unrestricted FA and went the place he wanted to go, but ultimatly he said to himself, "Rondo, Avery, JT and me, Rajon is gonna get 36 minutes + a night, Avery plays D every night so he's gonna get at least 15-20 at the worst, so that leaves under 48 minutes for me and JT to split, heck to the no" He's gonna get 28-32 mintues a night in Miami, and I'm gonna go as far to say book a tittle for Miami, barring a Durant/Westbrook legendary performance or if the Lakers have an epiphany with Nash.
As a celtics fan, I think I speak for the majority where we feel like Ray Allen betrayed us. BUT! This isnt what we should feel. NBA is a business and players choose to do what is in THEIR best interest - much like LeBron leaving Cleveland to get his first ring in Miami. The pain of him leaving doesnt hurt me as much, since Im a big LeBron fan. Hopefully LeBron can get that second ring... But I cannot help but think KG Paul Pierce and Rondo feel betrayed. One thing is certain, its going to be quite the game when the Heat roll into Beantown. There will be blood.
^You're suggesting Jason Terry accept a limited backup role?
Even though he is a 6th man he technically isn't a backup, he's been the main man at the 2 for years for Dallas, if Ray Allen has trouble swallowing his pride just to come off the bench, don't you think that Terry thinks that he's more than capable to play 30 minutes a night? Ray knows this, and he knew that ther'd be a logjam at the guard spots, and he knew that Avery would get off the bench for D, and that Rondo is gonna play at least 36 minutes per, and that either he or Terry would have to accept a limited role. He knows in Miami that even if he comes off the bench, they're so deprived for depth, that they can stick him in for a bulk of the minutes at the 3. Boston can't do that because it just has too many good players, and besides KG don't have the defenders to make up for Ray's deficiencies, where as the Heat have proven to be willing to take that gamble. In the end I have a feeling that their prefered lineup is going to be Wade-Allen-James-Bosh -Haslem, the lineup we all thought the Heat would go with 2 years ago except sub in Allen for Miller. This team is going to be deadly, but there were defeinatly reasons why Ray chosee Miami.
If you've lost respect for Ray Allen for joining Miami then you must not have respected him much before then anyway. It's ludicrous how anyone can get mad at him for this. It's a business people, if Boston was so loyal why did they trade Perkins and shop Rondo every week? Boston doesn't own Ray Allen.
lol....yeah, this is so funny...how the hell can you lose respect for a guy who is 37 years old (this month) because he wants to win a championship? thats the thing I am talking about with this whole Heat bias and the taking the easy way out crap....there is no easy way, this is the NBA, the Heat arent guaranteed victory. Let me ask, what does Allen gain (besides a few extra million...but he is rich already) by playing for the Grizzlies til he is 40?
Let's cut this whole "He left the Celtics, there's no loyalty" crap.
Let's face it, most of the people here are upset that he joined the Heat. Had he joined the Clippers, Grizzlies, Knicks, or Bulls for 2mil a year, nobody would have a problem whatsoever.
It's the fact that he joined the Heat that makes people hate him.
yeah, agreed. you guys are taking this too seriously....this is a game, not a revolutionary war. do you think that Allen hates Wade, Lebron or any other member of the Heat? there were a lot of factors in this decision. #1 being that Allen is coming to the end of his career and he wants another championship, he feels his best chance is with the Heat...thats not taking the easy way out....its not like he begged to join, the Heat really wants him. He took less money, but on the other hand, he couldve easily been relegated to coming off the bench in Boston this year...if you are going to come off the bench, let it be for the best team in the league.
First and foremost, Ray Allen is a class act, before anything else. He is a competitor and team player. He is selfless and I have never heard of him having a negative or disruptive attitude in the locker room.
Again TOL23, you are right, it is the hatred of the Heat because Nash isnt getting nearly the backlash for joining the Lakers that Allen will get for this move.
hey.. how about this.......... fu*******k the heat. you have to be a fan boy.
i like it when a team gives up there best player..to a bunch of cry babys for a ring. it still dont mean your a champ, cuz your team is a jack off. leave your home town with the 1st pick... are you tool. LBJ 23 more like F**kBalljames lmao
hey.. how about this.......... fu*******k the heat. you have to be a fan boy.
i like it when a team gives up there best player..to a bunch of cry babys for a ring. it still dont mean your a champ, cuz your team is a jack off. leave your home town with the 1st pick... are you tool. LBJ 23 more like F**kBalljames lmao
Inspired signing by the Heat, for them to land a player of Allen's class with the cap space they have is remarkable.
The writing was on the wall for Allen though, Bradley's emergence, Rondo's indifference and the in-coming Jason Terry made it difficult for Allen to come back.
The Heat and Celtic match-ups are going to be even more tense now.
The Heat will look to have an even better team this year because Allen has a lot left as long as he is healthy. The more shooters you put around Lebron and Wade, that more dangerous they become. Camby is down to the Heat and the Knicks I think....if the Heat get Camby, that will be a tremendous value.
At this point in Camby's career even with his lack of scoring he's still much better than any center the Heat have on the roster. Camby rebounds extremely well, plays tough defense, blocks shots, and will score when the situation occurs. If he joins the Heat, they won't have to worry about playing the 4 on 5 basketball they play when Anthony, Turiaf, or Pittman is on the court. Camby still has a solid jumper and he finishes well.
That is pathetic. You don't just lose respect for a player because he went to play somewhere else. I don't care if its a rival team or not. Bottom line is he did it, becuase the Heat have a better chance of winning a championship than Boston does.
I am a Jazz fan and I respect players like Karl Malone and Wesley Matthews. But I didnt lose any respect for any of them when they left Utah.
Even when Karl left Utah for the Lakers after playing with the Jazz for 16+ seasons and being drafted there. I knew he went to LA to have a chance to win a championship. He should have that chance after having such a great career with the Jazz, he should have a chance to go for the ultimate goal. I didn't mind that he went to a rival. He didn't go there to show disrepect to the Jazz, he went there to have a chance at winning a championship.
When Wesley chose division rival Portland over staying in Utah. (the team that saw enough promise out of him to sign him to a contract after he went undrafted) I didn't mind that. Utah had just traded Ronnie Brewer to the Grizzlies and then he went on to the Bulls. And they went and got Raja Bell. Wesley just felt that Utah didn't have much room for him and the Blazers obviously did. When you're young thats what you need, playing time. I hope that at the end of his career he'll come back to Utah, but I won't feel any remorse if he doesn't. (Besides Utah had just matched Millsap's big offer from Portland the previous year, do you really want to be paying big money to two players when all they really are in the end is 6th men off the bench? I don't. At the time thats what Millsap was, and that's all everybody thought he would be. No one thought he could be so versatile and shoot the 3, as well as defend and guard the 3 well. So now paying Millsap that much money is worth it. But at the time, who wants to be paying starter's money to two guys who at the time were considered 6th men off the bench?)
I don't even mind that Lebron chose the Heat over hometown Cleveland because a trophy was his ultimate goal. It was the way he did it that bothered me, not that he left or why. If "the decision" didn't happen, then I would have been just fine. (and probably still be rooting for him)
Bottom line you don't just lose respect for a player choosing a rival, because that player likely chose that rival to win a championship isn't that what you want in the end? True its too bad he couldn't do it with your team, but the bottom line, if he gets a championship, something that has eluded him for awhile, aren't you happy for him? I would be, regardless if he did it with your team or with a rival.
Why should fans have any team loyalty when players have absolutely none?... I thought to be a competitor meant to try your best against the best, not just switch teams... Ray Allen is definitely not the worst offender of this as a very aged shooter... But still.. I wish somehow players could just stay with one team their entire careers... It would really even out the league and I think make some real rivalries.... While I'm still dreaming I'd like a new car...
@The_Underkanter
If a player leaves a team to win with another team that is really a way that I lose respect for players. What does that say about their competitiveness? Or how much they actually cared about the team they used to play for? If my wife were to leave me for a better looking neighbor who I've always hated, I would probably have some hard feelings..
i remember ray's mom did an interview on a radio show earlier in the season,where she called rajon rondo a lil punk...i was wondering why she said that..becuz it seemed like all 4 of boston all stars were getting along..but out comes word this morning that allen and rondo never got along.....
I Love it when Bad things happen to Pierce..."http://www.uploadhouse.com/viewfile.php?id=16322829&showlnk=0" target="_blank"><img alt="Image Hosted by UploadHouse.com" src="http://img1.uploadhouse.com/fileuploads/16322/16322829c36953b6efdf99b25453f7a8e02090dc.jpg" border="0"></a>
River, I see what you mean. But I also realize that eventually even the most respected players are going to get tired of losing to their rivals. I think we all know in the end that even without Ray Allen, the Heat are better than Boston. Especially with Shane Battier. They have the younger team, while Boston has the seasoned veterans. True, I like Boston's approach better, but it the end I knew the Heat had the better team. Ray Allen knew that too, and I guess in the end he was just tired of being on the losing side, and you know what they say, "If you can't beat them, join them."
Don't think of this leaving as a leaving your girlfriend approach. Its not like that at all. Basketball is a business, as much as it is a favorite pasttime. So as much as loyalty is a factor, winning, and it being his last years is also a factor. In the end, Ray Allen wants to go down as a fighter, and he feels that the Heat have the best shot at fighting for a championship. In the end, I can't say I blame him.
For Allen to go down as a fighter for me I don't think he ever would have gone to the Celtics...
My view basketball has been the same since high school, it's a competitive game where you have your team and then there's everyone elses. The thought of playing for another team never crosses the mind of the players, I think it helps maintain rivalries and competitiveness...
Let me just reiterate though, it's my view, I see where you're coming from... But I like how I look at it more..
i just gonna say jason terry had good season last year and he was at 15 per game if i rembember corectly,ray allen averaged 14,7 per game playin injured so terry isnt big singing for celtics,i just dont think he will average more than 12 to 14 per game...and also IMO Allen in Miami is great for many reasons,first now you can completely part with Mike Miller and his huge contract cause even if Allen average career low its still bigger than what MM brings to them,and they get them another future HOF.. Its always good to have those type of teamates
Sam Amick @sam_amick
Ray Allen to Miami, apparently RT @MickyArison: Its 2:30am in London and I was just woken up with great news. Welcome to the family #20!!