Ray Allen Struggles in Game 1's

Interesting observation from Dan Duggan of the Herald.  Ray Allen hasn't done so well in game 1's in his two years with the Celtics.

2007-08

• Atlanta: 6-for-14, 18 points
• Cleveland: 0-for-4, 0 points
• Detroit: 3-for-10, 9 points
• L.A. Lakers: 5-for-13, 19 points

2008-09

• Chicago: 1-for-12, 4 points
• Orlando: 2-for-12, 9 points

Total: 17-for-65, 26.2 percent, 9.8 ppg

Maybe he's pressing too much.  Maybe it takes him a while to figure out what the defense is doing to him.  Maybe it takes his teammates a while to find him in the right spots.  Or maybe it just takes a game or so before his defenders get tired of running through endless screens.  When asked about it, here's what Ray had to say:

“Hard to say,” Allen said of what has gone sour in his two series openers. “I’m always somewhat at the mercy of whether we have ball movement or not. I need rhythm. Teams try to take me out of the offense, so it’s important that the bigs set screens, and it’s important that we move the ball. We get those things, and it will definitely help the offense.”

Whatever it is, I hope he picks it up soon.  He doesn't need to get 51 for us to win, but a nice even-keeled 20 point game would help.