Tony Allen still needs time
It’s a safe bet that Tony Allen’s rust would have shown with or without the downpour outside the TD Banknorth Garden tonight.
Playing for the first time since suffering a left thumb injury against the Spurs on Feb. 8., Allen struggled in a 104-92 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The shooting guard played just three minutes in the first half and 7 ½ minutes overall, finishing the game with 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers, a block, and an assist.
“I expected [the rust]” Allen said afterwards. “But I got to run up and down, got to look at a few defensive coverages. For the most part I had fun out there.”
Allen didn’t look like he was enjoying himself early on. After checking in at the 3:04 mark of the first quarter, his first jump shot from the baseline was so long it barely nicked the back of the rim. He followed that miss by traveling on the Celtics’ next possession and found himself back on the bench before the quarter was even over.
“I thought he was a little uncomfortable when he first got out there,” said Celtics captain Paul Pierce. “But he was able to get out there and get his feet wet.”
That three-minute spell in the first quarter probably wasn’t a fair tryout for a player attempting to get comfortable after missing 23 games, but therein highlights one of Allen’s other problems: competition.
The Celtics are paper-thin up front with injuries to Kevin Garnett, Leon Powe, and Brian Scalabrine, but Allen returns to a crowded backcourt. Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen are both accustomed to playing big minutes as starters, and Eddie House and Stephon Marbury split the backup minutes in the second quarter and third quarters of last night’s game, leaving Allen on the bench until the fourth.
“He’s rusty, but he’s good,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “You could see it’s just going to take time.”
It look less time than originally thought to get Allen back on the court. Allen had surgery on his left thumb on Feb. 18, and at the time it was hoped he could return for the playoffs. But doctors cleared him for full contact last weekend. So basketball, not health, appears to be Allen’s primary concern at the moment.
“I got in during the second half and got my rhythm,” Allen said afterwards. “I kind of knew what I wanted to do with the ball.”
Playing with less pressure against the Atlanta reserves in the garbage time of the fourth quarter, Allen looked much more comfortable, slashing to the basket for a reverse lay-up for his only score of the game.
Allen could be a crucial piece of the puzzle for the Celtics during the playoffs. The shooting guard in his fifth year out of Oklahoma State was averaging 7.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 19 minutes per game before he got hurt. Known as a defensive stopper, Allen’s role on this year’s team became even more important after James Posey’s departure to New Orleans.
“Tony is undersized for a three, but he’s strong enough to guard them,” said Rivers. “So it does give us time. With Kevin [Garnett] being out, you’re looking for ways to get Ray and Paul off the floor.”
While House and Marbury are dynamic scorers off the bench, Allen is the only Celtics reserve seemingly capable of staying with the LeBron Jameses and Kobe Bryants of the world during the postseason.
“We’re going to need him down the stretch, especially defensively,” said Pierce. “That’s what Tony really brings is a defensive tenacity to the game.”
Allen has been wearing a brace on his left hand during practices and games and said that his thumb is at about 75 percent capacity. Driving to his right with his uninjured hand is not a problem, but Allen said he wasn’t confident enough to drive to his left Friday. He says fans will know he is 100 percent healthy when they no longer see him wearing that brace.
“My hand felt good [tonight],” said Allen. “Nobody hit me there, so that was a good sign… I’m right there.”
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