NESN

Rajon Rondo, Doc Rivers ‘Just Going to Let Ray [Allen] Keep Talking’

WALTHAM, Mass. — Ray Allen has been busy this week filling
in the members of the Miami media about what went down behind the scenes — in
his view, anyway — during his time with the Celtics. The new member of the
Heat told reporters that the Celtics put him in a position where "we had
to move" and that they used him mainly as a "decoy" toward the
end of his tenure in Boston, among other things.

With each sentence he utters, Allen digs his grave a little
deeper in the eyes of Boston fans. Publicly, the Celtics are doing all they can
to avoid getting caught up in any manufactured controversy.

"We're just going to let Ray keep talking,"
Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday. "It's easier."

Rivers claimed he had not heard or read any of Allen's
comments. Rajon Rondo pled ignorance as well. Rondo still has not uttered
Allen's name this preseason, as far as anyone can tell, choosing to refer to
his former teammate only as "No. 20."

Allen was destined to be booed in Boston as soon as he inked
a two-year deal with the Heat in July. He figured to have a few loyalists,
though, due to his helping the Celtics raise their 17th championship banner and
the overall classy way he conducted himself in five seasons with the team. It
is difficult to imagine anybody among the Celtics faithful harboring fond
feelings for Allen anymore.

Have a question for Ben Watanabe? Send it to him
via Twitter at @BenjeeBallgame or send it here.