Could one of the best three-point shooters of all-time return to the NBA?
Apparently that could be the case, as former Boston Celtics star Ray Allen is thinking about making a comeback. Allen has been out of the league for two years, but that shouldn’t matter much. He remains deadly from long range, and it’s impossible to lose that shooting touch. He can still contribute to a contending team coming from the bench.
It also helps that he’s in very good shape. According to Los Angeles Clippers’ head coach Doc Rivers, Allen remains “in very good shape” and could “absolutely play in the NBA right now”.
“I think if Ray was in the right spot he may play. I think Ray wants to golf a lot too right now,” Rivers said Tuesday night at the TD Garden, where he and Brad Stevens highlighted an event for the ABCD Hoop Dreams foundation.
“But Ray is in amazing shape. I don’t know how he does that. He’s probably in top-five shape in the NBA. So could Ray play? Absolutely, I believe he could,” he ended.
It seems it’s not a case of how, it’s more a matter of when. With Allen ready to help a contending team, the only thing that the veteran needs is to find a team suitable to his needs. Obviously the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers come to mind, but they’re not the only ones.
The Los Angeles Clippers remain a likely destination due to the presence of Doc Rivers. The San Antonio Spurs are also a possibility due to Gregg Popovich and the team’s culture. And we can’t rule out the Boston Celtics either, as Allen’s leadership could play a pivotal role in a very young team.
The one thing that’s clear is that Allen seems to lean towards making a comeback. Aside from potentially getting one more ring, the veteran shooter has a personal goal in mind: to expand his advantage in the three-point made category.
Allen is currently the all-time leader on three-point shots made (2,973) and he has said several times he’d like to extend his total. It’s highly unlikely that Jason Terry (2,169) or Paul Pierce (2,128) would pass him.
There’s always the threat of Stephen Curry, though. The two-time MVP sits 19th on the list with 1,593 threes made, but he’s coming off a record-breaking season with 402 threes made.
Let’s assume Curry continues to score at that pace. He would reach 2,000 in 2017 and would have a shot at 3,000 in 2019 at the earliest. The Warriors star would be 31 by then, and there’s no reason to believe he will slow down by that. He’s just entering his prime and should become the all-time leader in threes once his career is over.
Unless Ray Allen has something to say about it.