hey rosie t

your boy hadda pretty good first half.

Rosalie,
Have you seen a sweeter shot, he makes it look so so easy sometimes....
It's almost like watching ballet on hardwood.

Ray is a thing of beauty to watch even for Lakers fans.
Besides his shooting ability, his demeanor/personality is just as impressive.
He is a true professional.

My son and I were saying during the game that it is amazing how he has the quickest release AND the best looking jumper in the league.

tjmakz wrote:Ray is a thing of beauty to watch even for Lakers fans.
Besides his shooting ability, his demeanor/personality is just as impressive.
He is a true professional.

My son and I were saying during the game that it is amazing how he has the quickest release AND the best looking jumper in the league.

TJ,

I think part of Ray's "secret" is his footwork. A lot of players will get the ball and then set their feet (or not, and take an ugly, off-ballance shot). So very often, Ray's feet are already set. All he needs to do then is get a good look at the basket and bring the ball over his head. By already having his feet ready, that shortens his release time, if seen from the time he gets the ball to the time it leaves his hands. EXCELLENT fundamentals.

And you're absolutely right about his demeanor. He is a gentleman. It is said that Kobe and Ray hate each other. I'm willing to bet the ranch Ray didn't start it.

bob

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bob

I saw that game Kobe and Ray both went for 40+ back in the beginning of Rays Sonic days,Kobe was getting pissed cause Ray kept on coming back and he couldn't stop him,so then he starts driving and elbowing and trying to play some bullyball,can't remember if either got ejected,but was alot of vulgartalking.Remember just happened to catch that game on late years ago and hadn't seen Ray play that much,didn't know how good he was.Also remember Ray setting up some great drive and dunks by baiting Kobe to play the jumper.Ray could finish better in traffic in those daze.

cow

I think one of the things that makes Ray's release so quick is that so much of his spring comes from his ankles and feet. He doesn't actually bend his knees nearly as much as (for example) Eddie House does, which saves valuable nanoseconds. Here's a tutorial with Ray in which he mentions bending your knees; but, when he demonstrates, his knee bend is minimal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thvTgiAyI5g

Sam

You know it is funny that you say that. Way back when Red was around to teach and help players, his first thing was that the knees had to be bent to be a great free throw shooter. Watching Ray shoot is a marvel. The one thing that makes him so successful is to watch him sometimes square himself off to the basket in mid air. Last night was something else, he was in a zone that few players get into very often. You could tell by the interview after the game that Kobe was not happy. Who will come out guarding him tomorrow night? Kobe?
I hope it is still Fisher or Sasha, because he can run them both right off the court. This is one problem that the Celtics create for the Laker guards, Rondo? Ray? I think his good shooting will continue for the rest of the series because no one is able to guard him all game long.

Now if we can only get Pierce hot, it will be a great series for the Celtics.

Sam, it is a different era, a different type of basketball, but Sam Jones always had a sweet shot. Can you imagine what type of shooter he would have been if the three pointer had been around in his day? His bank shot was one of the prettiest shots ever!

Rosalie,

You don't have to convince me about Sam. Although I detest the 3-point shot on principle, it would have been interesting to see how some of those guys from the 50s and 60s might have adapted to the availability of such a bonus.

Dolph Schayes shot from so far out that he'd just collect a bunch of bonus points without changing anything. Cousy would probably have been limited to one or two of his numerous long-distance footwork techniques in order to maintain the leverage for 23-footers. I believe the three-pointer would have strained Sharman's deadly shooting focus because his favorite shot involved a little wrist flick from the left side from about free throw distance up to 18 feet.

Sam would have been an interesting case. Most of his shots were taken within the location of today's arc. But occasionally (maybe half a dozen times a season), he'd be caught easily 30 feet from the basket with the shot clock running out, and he'd just flick his wrists and hit nothing but net. I don't recall ever seeing him miss that shot, although I'm sure he must have. With that kind of accuracy and his inherent leaping ability, I believe Sam would have been a great three-point shooter. (And probably I wouldn't hate the shot today.)

But all of them, and virtually all of today's players as well, would be seriously challenged to come up with the spin-and-shot distance accuracy of Ray. It is absolutely phenomenal. I think every one of those shots is a terrible shot...until it goes through the hoop.

In terms of eroding skills, I believe it's no contest as to which of the Three Amigos has diminished the least (if any). And his stamina is the closest I've seen to Havlicek's and Russell's.

Three more wins fellas. Three more wins. You can do this. I really believe you can do this.

Sam

Sources close to the Celtics' veteran shooting guard say that he's not exactly thrilled that Rajon Rondo is playing a more prominent role in the offense, and is looking at Miami as a potential destination. Bosh has long been rumored to be leaving Toronto to go to the Heat, which intends to re-sign Wade and has enough cap space to land Bosh with a maximum-salary deal.

From the Celtics' standpoint, they'd like to keep Allen, although he's looked every bit his age (he'll be 35 in July) during the Finals. When asked about Boston's "window of opportunity" closing for good in this title run, Rivers said, "I don't think it is. I think Kevin (Garnett) is going to be better next year, a year away from surgery. Hopefully, we sign Ray back - I think I can say that. If not, I just got fined."

Bobheck

What sources? that sounds like bunk to me. Bunk.

jeb65 wrote:Bobheck

What sources? that sounds like bunk to me. Bunk.

jeb,

Who knows? I'm not surprised the Heat are looking at Ray, I don't know about Ray looking at them.

I mean, if the report is true about Ray Allen not being happy Rondo's running the offense more, does he really, really think he's going to get more touches in Miami with DWade? Gimme a break. The only players that get more touches in the league than Wade are Kobe and LeBron.

Rondo's been feeding Ray. Ray's been missing (except for game 2). If Ray starts hitting, then this talk about him being upset with Rondo will evaporate and they'll be BFF.

I hate all this distracting off-season talk while the season is still going on (yeah, yeah, I know, I'm the one who posted this. Don't shoot the messenger). I guess this is what freaking losers like the Miami Heat and NY Daily News have to do when their teams are enjoying their early summer vacations.


bob

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mr heck that runs counter to everything I have seen from the man of class Ray Allen and as such I will chuck it in file 13 along with all the other "john hollinger" type crap I see and hear.

I find all of this a little hard to believe. Ray has made it clear that he wants to stay here in Boston, as far as Rondo is concerned, why the heck would he think he would be the #1 guard? Rondo is the point guard, it begins with him, period. Does he take too many shots that don't go down? Yes. But for everyone that misses there is that one that is a back breaker and opens it up for the Celtics.

This rumor has been floating around since before the trade deadline. Pat Riley supposedly wants Ray down in Miami. I really don't believe that they will let him walk. He is a valuable member of this team. Watch his rebounding, assists, and general floor operation when he is out there with the subs. He does a great job. This is ESPN or SI speculation. A bunch of baloney.

Unfortunately, as usual, we fans basically know just the tip of the iceberg. I can attest that there's a lot going on between players that we'll never know about...and among their wives as well. But, if Ray has some sort of gripe with Rondo, it must be something fairly recent because Ray seemed to be a self-anointed Rondo mentor for so long. It is a fact that Rondo and Perk now seem to be quite close, so perhaps relationships are changing.

But if I were asked to pick the one Celtic I'd be least concerned about as any kind of negative catalyst, it would be Ray.

Regardless of what the truth is, I take heart in one of the great lessons I learned hanging with the old Celtics: It is possible for a group of individuals who don't all love one another to band together successfully in achieving a common goal.

Sam

I am in total agreement with you Sam. We all have worked in enviornments where we don't always agree with everyone, but, in order to complete our jobs at hand, we just move on and just don't make a big deal about things.
I feel this is the way Ray would approach any situation.

It is unfortunate that subjects like this come up at a time when we have just three games left in a season and are fighting for a championship. I think this is much ado about nothing!

Seems that Ray's boy has had some real issues with his health and has been
hospitalized over the weekend. How did this guy even bother to show up yesterday. God Bless him and God Bless Walker in his struggles. So sad that
it was the fifth game in 2008 and the fifth game this year that this beautiful
little boy. What a pro.

that freaky scoop pass ray made after they stripped kobe to a streaking rondo was HUGE.

RosalieTCeltics wrote:Seems that Ray's boy has had some real issues with his health and has been
hospitalized over the weekend. How did this guy even bother to show up yesterday. God Bless him and God Bless Walker in his struggles. So sad that
it was the fifth game in 2008 and the fifth game this year that this beautiful
little boy. What a pro.

Rosalie,

Thanks for the background on Ray. I was not happy with how he played last night as he just seemed off to me. Now, knowing what he had going on, makes me think under the circumstances he did great. Good lesson on why being quick to criticize without knowing the whole story can be foolish.

The 5:00 news just showed Walker being the first person to greet Ray at the Garden after last night's game. That picture pretty much said it all, and I'm not afraid to admit I shed a couple of big ones at the sight.

It was just a matter of Walker's blood sugar going down around 40. Normal is around 90-120. It apparently didn't take long to correct the situation, but Ray was up all night with him on the night before the game.

Ray spoke briefly about the motivation Walker's return to health brings. Go get 'em Ray.

And Go Celtics.

Sam

As if we needed more, here's additional evidence that Ray Allen is a class act. The man was born to wear green (Milwaukee green, then Seattle green and now the only one that matters). This from the Racine Times:

Surprise, surprise

A couple of weeks ago, Stanley Robinson’s cell phone rang while he was in the middle of eating. He didn’t have a clue who was calling.

“I said, ‘Who is this?’ ’’ said Robinson, the former Connecticut standout forward who auditioned for the Bucks Monday. “He said, ‘This is Ray.’

“And I said, ‘Ray, who?’ He said, ‘Who is the only Ray you know?’ And I said, ‘Ray Allen.’

“And then he said it was Ray Allen. They (the Celtics) were in the playoffs but he took the time to call me.

“He told me to stay strong and stay focused and wished me well in my workouts.

“I couldn’t believe it. He’s a legend. I was blown away.’’

Allen, a former Bucks star, played at UConn as well.


bob

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Class all the way, huh? I predict a big night for Ray tonight. I want the Celtics to blow this team out of the water and take Phil with them!! But, knowing Ray, he will do it very politely!! HA HA

I have been a Ray fan for many, many years. I hoped and prayed that he would some day become a Celtic. John Havlicek has always been my favorite.
Class there, too. They remind me of one another.

GO CELTICS!! BANNER # 18 TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!