The Washington Wizards have an open roster spot, and with player buyouts and the trade deadline approaching, there’s been a lot of discussion about who the team should add. Chinese Basketball Association standouts like Will Bynum and Bobby Brown have been mentioned, as well as veterans such as Kevin Martin, Nate Robinson and Andre Kirilenko. However, one name has dominated the discussion for months on end.
The Wizards have been linked to veteran free agent Ray Allen since as early as September, and he’s been a primary free agency focus ever since. The idea was that the 39-year-old Allen would serve as a mentor to Bradley Beal while strengthening the bench with his shooting. It’s a nice idea in theory, and fans have hung onto the hope that Allen would choose the Wizards throughout the season.
ESPN is reporting that Ray Allen is finally ready to make his long-awaited choice after All-Star Weekend, and he’s narrowed his choices down to the Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, and Miami Heat.
The Wizards have been waiting for this moment with guarded optimism, but it’s time to face reality. Ray Allen hasn’t given any indication that he’s headed to DC, and with so many attractive suitors, he isn’t likely to choose the Wizards. And when you think about it, it’s really not the end of the world.
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For one, Allen doesn’t really fit a big need.
The Wizards are tied for third in the league in three-point shooting percentage at 37.7%, even with the Milwaukee Bucks and trailing only the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks.
Beal (44%) and his backup Rasual Butler (43%) are both excellent outside shooters, and guys like Paul Pierce, Otto Porter Jr. and Garrett Temple each shoot over 35% from beyond the arc.
Add in the possibility of Martell Webster returning to form, and the Washington Wizards have a solid stable of three point shooters. The Wizards are 27th in the league in three-point attempts, but that doesn’t mean they lack the talent to hit from beyond the arc.
If the Wizards do sign another guard, it should be someone who can create shots, a sentiment echoed by John Wall himself.
"“I think somebody, another guy that can create off the bench,” Wall said. “A guy that can create and put the ball on the floor and make plays for others. That’s probably the only thing we’re missing in the second unit. Andre’s [Miller] probably the best player that suits itself for creating and making plays for somebody in the second unit. I think sometimes we just get stagnant.”"
That’s not really Ray Allen’s forte.
He’s not a point guard or even a combo guard, and while the threat of his shooting would undoubtedly help shape the floor, he’s better off without the ball in his hands. A player such as Will Bynum, who can score as well as put the ball on the floor and make plays, looks to be a better fit for the second unit and would fit a bigger need.
One of the biggest selling points of Ray Allen to the Wizards is the chance to reunite him with Paul Pierce, who he won a championship with in 2008 as a member of the Boston Celtics. But the duo didn’t exactly part on the best of terms.
A few months ago it was revealed that former Celtics teammates Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins all share a group text, with Ray Allen conspicuously absent. It was also reported that Pierce and Garnett weren’t speaking to Allen shortly after he decided to sign with the Miami Heat.
These stories were probably a bit overblown, whatever bad blood existed has likely subsided, and the two are consummate professionals, so it’s not like Allen signing would invite conflict. But it seems the two may not be as close as some are making it out to be. If Allen wants to reunite with a former teammate, he may choose LeBron James in Cleveland; the two had an obvious chemistry on the Heat.
This is most likely Allen’s last season, and if he’s going to ride off into the sunset, he surely wants a legitimate chance at another championship. Of the teams he’s considering, the Wizards offer the slimmest chance at a ring, besides the Heat.
The Warriors and Hawks are the best teams in their respective conferences, the Spurs are the defending champs, the Cavaliers are streaking. The Clippers will have a hard time making it out of the West, but they offer the chance to play with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin as well as a reunion with Doc Rivers.
The Wizards have made huge strides this season, but they aren’t championship contenders (at least not yet), and Ray Allen isn’t exactly the missing piece that’s going to put them over the top.
Ray Allen is surefire Hall of Famer, and signing him would add credibility to the notion that D.C is becoming a free agency hot spot, but he shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all of the Wizards’ free agency aims. Putting everything on hold while waiting for a guy who may not even want to sing with the team is foolish when there’s a glut of useful, talented players about to become available.
Allen to the Wizards was always a long shot; maybe it’s time to give up on the idea once and for all.