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- Donnell Suggs
Hawks Braintrust Should Be Rushing to Contact Ray Allen
*Photo via USA Today
Former Milwaukee Buck, Seattle Supersonic, Boston Celtic, and Miami Heat player and by all intelligent accounts future hall of fame shooting guard Ray Allen has been reportedly exploring a return to the NBA after two seasons in “retirement”. The 40 year old sharpshooter turns 41 on July 21st and is considered one of the greatest three-point shooters of all-time. Doesn’t Atlanta need another shooter to pair with Korver? Couldn’t the Hawks use a veteran presence in the locker room with the recent loss of fan and team favorite Al Horford? Answers: Yes and heck yes. The Hawks should make a run at Allen now.
All reports lead to Allen potentially playing for Golden State (all the rage at the moment it seems) or Cleveland (all of a sudden a pretty popular destination). Atlanta has enough cap space to offer Allen the veteran’s minimum or a little bit more in fact without having to adjust its roster. During his last season in the league, 2013-14 in Miami, Allen averaged 90 percent from the line, .375 from behind the three-point arc and 9.6 points per game. In 73 games he even started 9. Those numbers as they presently stand would have made Allen the Hawks fourth or fifth best offensive player last season and that includes Horford and Teague. To not even make an attempt would be a mistake.
The impact of Dwight Howard’s signing can only be properly effective on its impact on other players. Come on Atlanta, it’s time to get in the game (at a cheap price) and see what happens. What’s the worse that could happen, another free-agent overlooks playing basketball in Atlanta? It wouldn’t be the first time.