The San Antonio Spurs Need A Little More Jesus (Shuttlesworth)

Jun 15, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Miami Heat guard Ray Allen (34) drives against San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) in game five of the 2014 NBA Finals at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 15, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Miami Heat guard Ray Allen (34) drives against San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) in game five of the 2014 NBA Finals at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Bringing Ray Allen to the San Antonio Spurs might be the antidote for Golden State.

The San Antonio Spurs were already in a prime position for a playoff run. After officially clinching a playoff spot for the 19th straight season with last’s night win over the Detroit Pistons (plus a loss by the Utah Jazz), the Spurs are currently riding a 51-9 record (and 29-0 home game streak) on pace to a 69-win season.

This is after integrating all of the new additions at the beginning of the season (LaMarcus Aldridge, David West and Rasual Butler, plus rookies Boban Marjanovic and Jonathon Simmons) and the most recent addition of veteran point guard Andre Miller (who made his debut in the silver and black against the Pistons).

At this time, the Spurs will probably get, at worst, the No. 2 seed and are only 3.5 games back for the No. 1 spot.

The team with the top-10 defensive and offensive efficiency ratings is still a serious threat to keep the Golden State Warriors from repeating as league champions. Still, they may want to think of adding another piece, given that resident 3-and-D guy Danny Green has been improving yet still streaky, and Patty Mills is still not back as his usual “thrill” three-pointer level.

This is the area where the Warriors run rings around the rest of the league, thanks to the white-hot hand of team captain and NBA poster child Stephen Curry.

Paging Jesus Shuttlesworth…er, Ray Allen.

Ray Allen is still a lethal three-point sniper. He has been inactive from the league since winning a second ring with the Miami Heat in 2014. It was during that game that he unleashed that infamous dagger against the Spurs in Game 6 of the Finals that eventually helped the Heat snatch the championship from beneath the Spurs’ noses.

Allen has still not technically retired from the NBA; as in, there has been no official paperwork filed, nor has an announcement been made. In fact, Allen is still rumored to be keeping himself in shape in case he wants to lace ‘em up one more time.

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However, Allen has been adamant in insisting that he would only dust off his skills for a championship contender. Nothing less will do. That means either the Warriors, the Spurs, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Clippers or the Toronto Raptors.

Golden State has all of the shooting power it needs, and another body would just disrupt the chemistry of the current team makeup, especially its youthfulness. The Spurs are also cruising with the team chemistry, but they at least have one or two players that could be sacrificed to bring Allen on board, even if Kevin Martin decides to join Miller on the team.

The Thunder, fresh off a string of avoidable losses against quality teams, are slowly fading from true contender status. The Raptors are a continued threat for the Cavaliers in the East, while the Clippers have been cruising in the absence of Blake Griffin — though his imminent return will be interesting to watch in regards to team performance.

Ray Allen’s three-point records still reign in the league, even if his all-time seasonal record has been surpassed by Curry (twice). It helped him get a ring in 2008 with the Boston Celtics with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, under then-head coach Doc Rivers.

Let’s not forget that Allen is 40 years old, which would make him the third-oldest player in the league (his birthday is in July), and on the Spurs as well, should he choose to accept this mission. Because the Spurs can never have enough older, talented players!

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Allen apparently has a long-standing invitation to return to the Heat should he be ready to play again, but the key word in Allen’s desire is “contender.” Miami currently stands at fourth in the fluid Eastern Conference and are eight games behind the no. 1 seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers. One and a half games separate them from the No. 3 seed, the Celtics, and they are six games behind the no. 2 Toronto Raptors.

Despite brilliant yet inconsistent performances from Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside, the potential loss of team anchor Chris Bosh due to a recurrence of blood clots doesn’t bode well for a championship run, though the signing of Joe Johnson is supposed to keep those hopes alive, especially if Bosh does not return.

I like the Spurs’ odds better.

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Allen is also known for his professionalism and fairly low-key personal life, which is another plus in the Spurs column. Another veteran presence would go a long way as the Spurs get ready for the playoffs grind, and Allen would provide a reliant backup — and surer threes — for Green and Mills. When a championship is at stake, it’s all hands on deck. Allen’s hands would be in good hands in San Antonio.