<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>HUDSON, N.H. - While "The Big Three" sounds good to Celtics guard Tony Allen, "The Big Four" sounds better. Once Allen fully recovers from left knee surgery, he believes he might be able to add a star to an already star-studded lineup of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.</p> The fourth-year Celtic was recently cleared to play and hopes to be ready for the season opener Nov. 2.</p> "If you put the ball in my hands when I'm healthy, hey, it won't be The Big Three, it might be The Big Four," said Allen, who was here yesterday with ex-Celtic Cedric Maxell to present a renovated home basketball court to a contest winner and conduct a basketball clinic. "Right know I'm hungry. That's the mentality I got."</p> So why is Allen, who averaged 11.5 points last season, confident he can be on a par with three perennial All-Stars?</p> Allen averaged 18.8 points in the last 14 games (Dec. 13-Jan. 10) of the 33 he played last season. The 6-foot-4-inch, 213-pounder scored at least 20 seven times in that hot span, including a career-high 30 against Denver Dec. 15.</p> "I watch those tapes every day," Allen said. "I edited them myself."</p> But Allen's breakthrough season ended with left knee surgery Jan. 13.</p> "It humbled me a lot," Allen said. "I'm basically taking it one day at a time. I was at an all-time high there. But once the injury came, it stopped. I asked myself, 'Is this supposed to happen to me?' But really, I kept focused on trying to get back healthy."</p> Allen says his knee is "70 percent" and he couldn't play if there were a game today. He participated in five-on-five scrimmages for four straight days last week, but he hasn't regained his explosiveness, nor is he ready to catch alley-oops.</p> "I feel like everything is there except my explosiveness right now," said Allen. "I can jump. I can rebound. I can pass. I can cut. It's like my explosive cutting to the basket and on curls - I need to work on that."</div></p> Source: Boston Globe</p>
I like his mentality. I hope he is healthy enough to have an impact on the game. He is need out there even though he'll come from the bench.
Unless he suddenly picked up significant PG skills, his self proclaimed bigness will still be coming off the bench
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan)</div><div class='quotemain'>Unless he suddenly picked up significant PG skills, his self proclaimed bigness will still be coming off the bench</div> Believe it or not, he will be playing at least some PG, at least according to Danny Ainge.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (44Thrilla)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan)</div><div class='quotemain'>Unless he suddenly picked up significant PG skills, his self proclaimed bigness will still be coming off the bench</div> Believe it or not, he will be playing at least some PG, at least according to Danny Ainge.</div></p> That should be entertaining since he has more turnovers than assists in his NBA career.</p> 219 TOs and 187 Assists in 161 Games</p> </p>
I'm not fond of Tony Allen playing any time at the point. He's very turnover prone, he's not a particularly good ball handler, and he doesn't have floor vision (especially considering the fact that he kind of looks down when he dribbles a lot of the time). He doesn't have point guard skills, and putting him at a position where he's least effective is not what he needs right now. He needs to focus on getting himself healthy and back in game shape, not about "well, can I run the offense for 10 minutes a night?" He needs to gain his explosiveness back, like he said in the article, but he also needs to make sure he is mentally ready to go full-throttle in game situations. Can he dunk the ball yet? Can he run, jump, and land without second-guessing himself? Can he handle excessive contact?</p> There are a lot of questions, and while I'm staying optimistic about one of my favorite players, he has a lot to prove. I love his mindset and I love the quick progress we're hearing about, but he has a ton to prove and work on before he can say "big four." Sure, he's 70%, but that explosiveness he is lacking right now is his game. He is a slasher, he is an energizer, he is a developing stopper, but without that explosiveness, he's none of that. </p> Back to the point guard situation, I think we'll see 30+ minutes per game of Rondo at the 1, and the rest will be split between Ray and House. I'm more comfortable with Ray than House, but if House can get the ball across halfcourt, dish it off to a guy like Ray/KG/Pierce, and move off the ball to free himself for a shot like he has done his whole career, then he'll be fine for 5-6 minutes per game. Who knows? Maybe Gabe Pruitt makes progress by the All-Star break? You never know, but I would rather have a rookie like Pruitt at the point for 5-6 minutes per game than Tony Allen.</p>
The point guard won't be "running the offense" in Boston. The last thing you want is the ball being dominated by the fourth best player. Rivers has, for his career, run a high post offense where the ball is either in the hands of a wingman or a bigman in the high post. Why would he abandon that set with the best passing big in the NBA and two of the better ballhandling wings? This team isn't built to play like Phoenix, it's built to play fast halfcourt basketball. To be ruthlessly frank, House and Pruitt are the only two guys with the skillset for the 1 in Rivers' offense. Tony Allen's a poor fit given his shooting and his tendency to make boneheaded plays. Maybe Milwaukee matches Bell and trades him to Boston for Tony, Leon & Jackie Manuel?
I am a big TA fan, and love his attitude. But I remain skeptical that he can come back this season close to 100%.
Oh man, what a crock! Tony Allen in the Big Four? I don't care if TA does come back at 100%, he's not just going to be coming off the bench, he may be not coming off the bench, if you know what I mean. Why is it that players like Allen don't take their big numbers for what they're worth - padded stats from playing on one of the worst teams in the league. The C's were giving Allen shots precisely because they didn't have guys like KG and Ray Allen to take them instead. Anyone remember Cedric Ceballos? Much better player than TA, an All-Star, in fact. But once his team got a legitimate superstar(and one who didn't even play his position or match his skill set), his shots and numbers dropped precipitously, and he was soon shipped. Allen wasn't even at that level, so why does he think he's suddenly going to elevate his stock?</p> The Celtic who should be crowing, and I'm impressed that he's not, is Rajon Rondo, who's gonna play the bulk of the pg minutes and whose assist numbers may go through the roof. But unfounded confidence, especially from a guy who got his minutes in garbage time(well, garbage season is more apt), and who isn't even fit to play right now, is the way you alienate teammates and make yourself even less effective(think Richard Dumas without a drug problem).</p>
If Tony Allen completely recovers, three facts make up his game: he cannot shoot, he plays aggressive defense, and he uses his athleticism to score points by dribble penetration [though he doesn't dribble very well] or put-back attempts. He's average, at best, if he's healthy. Big 'if.'
I've always thought it'd be interesting and possibly good to see a strong defensive SG to go in the game at the PG position with another player on the floor who can handle the ball and run the offense.
