SportsNation Blog Archives
Ray Allen
The Celtics and 76ers will match up in a Game 7 after Philadelphia pulled off an 82-75 win at home. Allen Iverson's presence energized a crowd that Kevin Garnett had earlier criticized as lackadaisical and fair-weather, but that likely won't be a factor when the series returns to Boston. What might be a factor is the possible absence of Avery Bradley, whom the Celtics could lose for the remainder of the playoffs because of a shoulder injury. We'll find out what all of this means Saturday night.
Which team wins?
The Celtics missed several opportunities to put this series away, as their horrible shooting percentage doomed them in Game 6.
Contenders without Bradley?
Avery Bradley has been the Celtics' secret hero on more than one occasion this season. His absence could be huge.
Could Iverson come back?
Allen Iverson's most recent stint playing basketball in Turkey ended when he underwent calf surgery. Could he still play in the NBA?
1. Which Celtics star shouldn't have the ball with the game on the line?
The Mavericks handed the Celtics their second loss of the season on Monday, making good use of a typically big night from Dirk Nowitzki. But the Celtics had a chance to tie or take the lead in the closing seconds, only to see Kevin Garnett miss a jumper. Is Garnett the last guy who should have the ball in that situation?
- "not trying to hate on the guy, but rondo pretty much lost those last 2 possessions. either shouldve driven it to the rim instead of the open three and then missing pierce." -- SN commenter 1908cubs
- Rank 'Em: How do you size up this summer's NBA free agents?
- Vote: Would a Miami mega-trio be good? | Which team will sign LeBron?
- More from ESPN.com: Chad Ford breaks down likely destinations.
The long wait will be over at 12:01 a.m. ET Thursday, and we can officially, well, keep waiting at least another week. All right, so the official start of NBA free agency tonight may be a bit of a letdown, considering players can't actually sign contracts until July 8, but the wooing is what matters. Like college recruiting, only more legal and arguably less extravagant, teams will try everything short of general managers breaking out their best "Say Anything" John Cusack impersonations to win over players (and we're not putting Peter Gabriel past John Paxson).
Even now, reality appears to be setting in for some. A Nets fan once hopeful for the ultimate prize is looking at alternatives to LeBron, including a way of tweaking the Knicks that goes beyond just careful placement of billboards.
- "If the Nets miss out on LeBron and Wade and Bosh, I think it is almost definite that the Nets get David Lee. Lee gets to stay in the NY/NJ area, and the Nets finally get the strong PF they havent had since K-Mart left. After that, they would need to target SG, and they have expressed interest in Rudy Gay. He is the best SG for the money. Since Lee and Gay don't get the attention they deserve, they will probably come cheap, and the Nets could continue to be the scavengers of this free agency market." -- Read MdMaChOmAn's full post.
“The "fact" is that nobody knows how any of this is going down. From the average fan to the highest paid journalist; it's all speculation. Anybody saying anything different is fulla ...
” -- _mongo_slade_
“So if Bosh, Lebron, and Wade go to Miami who else can Miami afford to have on the roster? Can I play PG?
” -- danielmiller19
Lakers coach Phil Jackson's teams may be undefeated after winning Game 1 of a playoff series, but Celtics guards Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo are trying to do something about that rather impressive record.
Allen scored 32 points and set an NBA Finals record with eight 3-pointers made, including seven in a row at one point. Rondo, for his own part, put up yet another triple-double performance in which he seemed to be everywhere at once. Allen and Rondo, not Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, seem to be the bellwethers of the Celtics in the playoffs. When they're playing well, a Boston victory seems certain to follow. SportsNation seemed swayed by their mastery: After Game 1, two-thirds had the Lakers as the eventual champions, but that figure has been partially flipped after Game 2.
“the big 3 usually average out. the key to this series is and will continue to be rondo. he effects the game in so many ways.
” -- maxtime55
“Allen is just too good and wears green
” -- mvkapfer
“Allen is lights out, good for him, and they wanted to trade this guy- from the looks of it they should of traded garnett.
” -- lraidernation
Ray Allen has never been one for controversy -- the last time we can recall him doing something out of the ordinary was when he starred in He Got Game. That's why it's such a surprise that one of the league's most businesslike players is taking on an unusual target: the fans.
Allen is of the opinion that fans have too much influence in voting for the All-Star game. Specifically, Allen takes issue with the likely inclusion of Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady, both of whom are in position to start the game despite having sub-par seasons. Is Allen suggesting that, just maybe, the fans don't know what they're talking about? Perhaps. More likely, there's an element of favoritism involved -- it's difficult to seperate logic from emotion when it comes to evaluating players. Does Allen have a point?
“No the format doesn't need to be changed. Why? Because All-Star weekend is about just that. ALL STARS. If a player is having a great season in the NBA, sometimes he'll get voted to an All-Star game, HOWEVER, the real reward of recognition comes at the end of the season, with the All NBA voting. Being on the All NBA 1st, 2nd, or 3rd teams, or the All NBA Defensive 1st, 2nd, or 3rd teams is where you get recognized career wise moreso than All-Star appearances, but this obviously isn't just about performance, but also about MONEY.
” -- vgametime
“I agree guys like Iverson and McGrady aren't wothy to be All-Stars based on their play this season, but it's the fans' game. They should be able to vote for whoever they wanna see. Period.
” -- steinhardt711
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