http://www.milforddailynews.com/sportsColu...&format=&page=1 <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Allan Ray is from the Bronx. Nobody has to remind him how tough life can be. Finished with college, he's looking for a job in his field of expertise, hard work in itself even though he's been doing this since seventh grade. Four years of college basketball certainly didn't hurt Ray one bit. He averaged 18.5 points for Villanova last season. The NBA draft night flashed by and nobody called his name, but then the Celtics rung him up. He signed with Boston on July 6, then went to the competitive Las Vegas Summer League. Yesterday, the 6-foot-2 shooting guard sat in an empty gym at the Celtics' training site, his eyes taking in the abundant evidence of the team's past and unsurpassed greatness. Sixteen banners. Ray is 22 years old. He can't tell you much about Russell, Cousy, Havlicek and Cowens. "Obviously, you see all those banners, you think of Bird, McHale, Parish, Ainge," he says. ESPN Classic introduced Ray to the epic Magic/Lakers, Bird/Celtics Finals. "I've seen all of those," says Ray. But it's not the Celtics' past Ray's concerned with, it's the team's immediate future. And his place in it, if there is one. The only post-college addition to his resume is the five games he played in Las Vegas in which he averaged 14.4 points and two assists. Ray doesn't have to be reminded he's puffing uphill in this quest for employment. The Celtics have an abundance of signed young players to mix and match with Paul Pierce. Ray is finishing his second week at the HealthPoint gym. "The first week was tough," he admits. "This week things have become pretty familiar." Ryan Gomes is here, a second-round pick two years ago who had a breakout season last winter. An undrafted player like Ray could take heart from Gomes' story. How much distance could there be between a 50th draft pick and a rookie free agent? Ray's beginning to find out. "Everyone here is more athletic, faster," he says. "You can't just rely on talent. You've got to be smart, do the little things. Play defense, be in the right spot at the right time. We're not all LeBron James." If Danny Ainge was in the house the night Ray exploded for 21 second-half points at Conte Forum to beat Boston College 92-89, the Celtics' boss must have made mental notes. The night Ray scored 25 to help Villanova knock off Arizona in the NCAA Tournament raised his stature. He averaged 15.4 points in his four college seasons. Here in the Celtics' practice gym, he plays hard, says little and pays attention. Like when 33-year-old Theo Ratliff, an 11-year NBA graybeard, speaks. "He knows a lot. I listen," says Ray. He can even learn from Sebastian Telfair, even though he's a year younger than Ray, Telfair being one of those prodigies that skipped right over college and landed in the NBA. He's hasn't left a mark yet, but he's been around the block already. Ray listens to him too. Then there's Gomes. "I played against him in college. I know what he can do." Ray played baseball as a kid. "I was a first baseman. A couple of times throws hit me in the face. I said, 'That's it. I can't play this anymore.'" At St. Raymond's High he caught the eye of recruiters from every Big East team. Wake Forest and and North Carolina State from the ACC contacted him. So did California. But Villanova coach Jay Wright won him over. "He showed us how to be a man off the court," says Ray. Now he has to show Celtics coach Doc Rivers how much of a man he is on the court, when regular-season camp opens in three weeks. "I can shoot and spread the floor," he says. That was college. It's a brave new world Allan Ray's entering. Nobody's tacked a star on his dressing room door yet. "I've got to prove myself," he says.</div> I really like Ray, and there is no reason why he should have went undrafted. The guy can play. Now, I don't see him logging any minutes behind PP/Wally/D-West/TA/Gerald, but if a trade happens then he could see small doses of floor time. But Ray has a good head on his shoulders and I'm glad we brought in a hard worker in him.
I really hope they hold on to him. Like nba supermantist I think he could really tear up the NBDL. I think he is to nice of a player just to cut.
I think that was smart of the C's to pickup allan ray and kevin pittsnogle. Both were pretty dependable in college and althought the NBA is a much different level, their talent is greater than renaldo balkmans :shifty2:
