Who has the prettiest jump shot ever?
When you go through some of the names, Ray Allen has to come to mind. If you leave him any air space behind the three-point line he will bury it.
And the Miami Heat just got much more dangerous adding Allen to the mix.
Ray Allen has gone from one Eastern Conference heavyweight to another. (Image source: FanIQ.com)
Allen will give the Heat more than Mike Miller and James Jones combined. Although Miller had spurts of great shooting, he was wildly inconsistent. Allen is the model of consistency, and with LeBron, Wade, and Bosh around him there will be many more open looks for him than in years past.
Allen is not a great defender, but the Heat play pretty good team defense and some of the other athletes will cover up Ray Ray maybe getting beat off the dribble from time to time.
The Heat just made a big step in beginning their quest to repeat, especially since Eastern Conference teams like the Nets and Celtics have improved greatly through the draft and via trades. The Western Conference teams that will be the favorites to contend for a trip to the Finals also improved (Lakers, Thunder).
I won’t definitively say the Heat signing Allen seals the repeat, but it is a great step for them to acquire a great player at only the mid-level exception that starts at $3.09 million and could be worth a maximum of $9.5 million over three seasons, which is what Allen is believed to sign for.
Now we’ll see if they can attain a capable big man to play center, or if they play Bosh at center and go for power forwards off the bench. I think their best lineup is when Bosh is at the center and LeBron is at the 4, but having some extra size to matchup with certain teams, like the Lakers, would be helpful.
I am eager to see what the remainder of the offseason brings for the defending champs.
About Trevor Stewart
