The Boston Celtics, who find themselves buried in the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division standings at 20-23, will go toe-to-toe with one of the former members of the Big Three on Sunday.
Ray Allen will have his hands full not only defending Boston’s young and versatile guards but also in dealing with the fans. The same crowd that embraced him when he broke Reggie Miller’s 3-point record can’t be happy that he has gone to the dark side.
Making it even more intriguing is the slight hostility that has arisen among the questions of who did and didn’t do what. Rajon Rondo and Allen were reportedly not seeing eye to eye, so how Rondo greets his former teammate could be something to keep an eye on. Oh, and “big brother” Kevin Garnett, who didn’t want to see Allen on opening night, is likely still disappointed in him.
Where the Celtics stand as of now puts a bad taste in the mouth of all Celtics fans, especially with the C’s shooting 33.5 percent from beyond the arc. Allen’s presence only makes that taste worse. In the 2012-13 season, the 37-year-old is posting 11.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25 minutes per game.
Allen’s debut in Boston in a Heat uniform should be just a precursor to the two teams battling for bragging rights at the end of the season, but the Celtics have some work to do first. Boston is having a horrific finish to the first half of the 2012-13 season, while the Miami Heat are in the thick of things, sitting on top of the Eastern Conference standings.
At the end of the day, it’s always the game that matters. But Sunday could also mean a rough awakening for Allen — or maybe some pleasant feelings, as a thanks for providing five great years for the green team. What do you think? How should Celtics fans respond?
