Is Ray Allen Losing his Touch? (Not shooting, obviously)

Besides KG, Ray has been the most consistent player for the C’s. He is one of the most graceful players I"ve ever seen. Last year he was too old and everyone wanted him gone. This year he’s beating younger guys up the court (as is KG and even Shaq). He did that last year for those who didn’t notice. In the Philly game Ray couldn’t buy a shot. Then at the end when Philly pretty much had the game in hand, Ray hits a three., Then the great KG/Rondo play with the buzzer about to go off.

Ray can no longer be evaluated by stats (neither can any other Celtic player). Ray helps this team, just by being on the floor. Someone always needs to guard him, which opens up other players (see what happened to Philly when they didn’t guard him at the end). Even if he doesn’t score a point he helps his team win. He’s also a better defender and rebounder and competitor than most give him credit for. So let people say all the negatives they want. I want Ray on my team. Also, let’s not forget Ray the person. He’s up there with the finest.

Isn’t it possible that the bench unit would have been even worse without Ray? Isn’t possible that Ray makes a really bad bench a somewhat less bad bench?

Does this lineup change things: Allen, Shaq/JO, Davis, West and Robinson. This assuming Perkins is back in the starting lineup. Who cares anyways, we’re 19-4 with a depleted team right now.

Ray has forced a lot of bad passes early on this season while trying to facilitate and it will take a larger sample size to reduce the impact. That tends to be the problem with Ray facilitating — bad decision prone, but not to the degree he has been in the early season (though I don’t know how many of those plays were with exactly that lineup..

Ray isn’t a shot creator. He doesn’t try to break down the defense and create his own shot. He’s a catch and shooter. The C’s system is to set picks for Ray, then when he’s open he catches the ball and shoots. He hasn’t lost his touch like you’re trying to suggest just like you suggested some inaccurates about Semih Erden a few days ago. Ray averages 16.7 Pts per-game so he’s doing something right. Understand he’s play with a ball-club where he doesn’t have to carry weight like he did with Bucks and Sonics.

ray is mister smooth. he’s good with whomever he plays with. i’m so glad he was resigned. i can see him someday taking over from danny after assisting him in the front office.

Ray hasn’t been much of a ballhandler or set-up man since he’s been here.

anyone watching the games can see Ray’s turnovers (especially the most egregious ones) are almost always due to him getting his pocket picked while dribbling or trying to make a boneheaded pass.

when he’s not trying to be a playmaker, he rarely makes a turnover. He needs to stick with what he does best which is shoot or if passing, do it with minimal ballhandling and difficulty required.

This observation probably has little to do with the decline of the second unit’s efficiency this year but perhaps he’s trying to take on more of a role that he’s ill-suited for.

First, aside from the obvious SSS problem you have to look at what role Ray is providing with the second unit.

In the prior 3 years, the biggest, most obviously painful shortcoming of our bench has been the lack of a 2nd consistent outside threat. For the first 3 years we mostly had just Eddie and then last year we traded Eddie for Nate.

This meant, if we went to an all-bench unit we had only one guy who could draw close coverage outside the arc. The other 4 defenders could stay in or near the paint, waiting to cut off our other guys who were all slashers.

To counter this, Ray has been the obvious antidote. Put him on the floor and suddenly the defense moves to adjust to HIS presence on the floor. Now, two guys have to stay out of the paint to defend the perimeter and only 3 could sag in the paint. That is a huge difference.

Okay, let’s roll up to 2010-2011 season:

This year, our weakness on the bench is not outside shooting. Aside from the injured Delonte’, we have Nate, Wafer, Harangody, Bradley and a remodeled Marquis Daniels all able to shoot from way outside. So the floor spacing value that Ray brings, while still great, is of less marginal value than in prior years.

The actual weakness this year in the second unit has been in the interior – where we are so ridiculously thin because of injuries to Perkins, JO, Shaq & Semih. Ray simply cannot make up for that unless he grows 4-5 inches!

we are not playing four bench players at once.

BTW – when Shaq wasn’t starting he counted as bench player, when he is starting he doesn’t – peculiar. I think looking at specific lineups is more telling.

Ray is having his best season since joining the Celtics. Granted he is not the shooter he was years ago in Milwaukee, but his overall game has improved tremendously. I don’t know who you are watching, this guy never stops. I bet this year he has his most assists since joining the Celtics. Stop and watch him for a while. He is perpetual motion, getting other guys free and scoring. Sorry, this assumption is dead wrong.