As the 2014-15 regular season hits its proverbial “home stretch,” multiple sources have reported that, after months of deliberation, Ray Allen is finally ready to make a decision concerning his NBA playing future.
Apparently, the list of teams in the running for the services of the all-time leader in three-pointers made includes the Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and the Atlanta Hawks.
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While the sharp-shooting 39 year-old could possibly call it career and hang it up, Allen has been working tirelessly to stay in classic Jesus Shuttlesworth shape as he mulls his throngs of options in Miami, the city he has called his NBA home over the past two years.
The early season favorites to land the future hall of famer appeared to be the Cleveland Cavaliers, driven in large part by the established camaraderie between Allen and former Heat teammate LeBron James.
Of course, the Los Angeles Clippers are naturally in the running due to coach Doc Rivers‘ years of rapport with Allen while the two partnered in Boston. However, with J.J. Reddick and Jamal Crawford currently manning the two guard position in Lob City, it is hard to figure where Allen would fit in the grand scheme of things.
The Washington Wizards, meanwhile, has a glaring hole at the backup shooting guard position, and rooted goodwill between former Boston Celtic and ally on the wing, in Paul Pierce. The major concern regarding such a partnership would most certainly be Washington’s style of play. Most notably, the Wizards are ranked within the bottom-five in the league in both three-pointers made and attempted.
In contrast, the Hawks have emerged as the Cavaliers’ stingiest competition, not only in the Eastern Conference, but also in their plight to sign Allen.
Understandably, while playing alongside arguably the best player on the planet will always have its merits — particularly in the form of an avalanche of open, quality looks — the Cavaliers are much more iso-dependent than the ball-fizzing, space-and-pace renditions of the Heat from the prior two seasons.
The most logical move, and the team that would maximize Allen’s current set of skills at this stage of his illustrious career, are the East-leading Hawks.
A potential Allen-Hawks partnership would greatly benefit both parties. Allow me to explain:
Why The Hawks Do It
The Atlanta Hawks overwhelm teams with joint-bending ball movement and pestering synchronized rotations.
The luxury of having five viable triple threats — players who can pass, dribble and shoot — on the floor at all times curate the offensive identity of the Hawks. Run down Atlanta’s current rotation and their blueprint to success becomes abundantly clear.
Atlanta Hawks
Explicitly, the Hawks house two pick-and-roll wizards at the point, in Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder; an army of long, bouncy, 3-and-D wings, in DeMarre Carroll, Thabo Sefolosha, and Kent Bazemore; a couple of aggressive multi-skilled stretch fours, in Paul Millsap and Mike Scott; as well as two stretch-the-floor, omnipresent grounded centers, in Al Horford and Pero Antic.
The only missing ingredient to the Hawks’ privileged attack is an apropos backup for their resident sharpshooter, and the player opposing teams game plan for, in Kyle Korver. And for good reason, players with the dead-eye shooting of Korver usually don’t have the court awareness and defensive prowess of the All-Star.
With a potential Ray Allen-signing, the Hawks will successfully acquire a player who can inspire the similar brand of fear on opposing defenses. The threat of Allen’s shooting can make the opposition scramble and bend — much like Korver — through simple actions such as running the two-time champion through a gauntlet of quick pins, flare screens, and stagger screens.
Take for example; just imagine Allen in the place of Korver in the following instance:
Picture this, Allen receives the ball above the break. Meanwhile, either Teague or Schroder comes off of a Millsap or Scott pindown as Allen flares out to the opposite wing, courtesy of an Elton Brand screen.
As the play develops, the point guard judiciously swings the ball over to the flaring wing, where, Allen is perhaps the only shooter in the association other than Korver, who can consistently command the panic and contest of three opposing defenders.
Consequently, in said instance, not only would Allen have the option to unleash a catch-and-shoot three — where he converted on 39.4 percent of his 3.8 catch-and-shoot three-point attempts last season, per NBA.com’s SportVU Data — he also has a wide open corner shooter on the strongside, and an equally free big diving down the gut of the defense.
Sure enough, the Hawks’ offense falls off a cliff whenever Korver is on the bench. In fact, Atlanta scores an astounding 13.2 points per 100 possessions less when their 33-year old guard is off the floor, per 82games.com.
Unquestionably, that number will undoubtedly improve dramatically with the acquisition of Allen; not only will he inject the Hawks with an extravagance of outside shooting, Atlanta’s offensive sets — and the ability to instill chaos — can also eternally remain constant.
More importantly, the move will allow coach Mike Budenholzer, a famous disciple of the legendary Greg Popovich, who understands the importance of adequate rest — especially for his tender aged veterans — to give Korver longer periods of recuperation.
Alarmingly, the 12-year veteran is averaging 33.2 minutes per game thus far this season, the fourth most minutes of any player over the age of 32, per Basketball-Reference.
Additionally, Korver’s inherent style of play — highlighted by his unrelenting off-ball movement on offense and a highly active, scrambling brand of defense — naturally lends to a substantial amount of wear and tear. Specifically, he is currently tied for eighth in the association in the amount of distance traveled per game, at 2.4 miles, per NBA.com’s SportVU Data.
In summation, Allen will both stabilize the Hawks’ offensive attack while Korver is on the bench, and concurrently, preserve the All-Star’s legs as Atlanta hopes to continue playing through the month of June.
Why Ray Allen Does It
By all accounts, Allen has prioritized the capacity of his role and the chance at winning another title at the top of his checklist.
Accordingly, the Hawks will assuredly provide a profusion of role significance, and, as the best team in the East, the opportunity to pursue his third championship.
Not to mention, the offense suits his myriad of skills — namely his catch-and-shoot expertise and ability to playmake off of curls and flares — perfectly.
In addition, Allen has grown accustomed to playing in a high-stress defensive system during his two-year stint with the Heat.
To put the icing on a Southern-themed cake, Atlanta is also conveniently located in close proximity to Miami — the city in which his family resides.
For now, as the unprecedented prolonged All-Star break marches on, the entire NBA universe turn their collective attention to the oldest and most impactful free agent on the market.
Whether he retires or decide to return to the NBA for a 19th season, his legacy will remain untainted.
However, if Allen truly aspires to win another championship while playing a pivotal role, the obvious choice would have to be everyone’s new favorite team, the Atlanta Hawks.
Next: NBA: 50 Greatest Players Of All Time
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