Start Tony, Ray off the bench

[Mon]

If Tony needs extended minutes to have a positive impact why not have him start and Ray come off the bench?

It helps Tony with his confidence and will help his production possibly with an eye to flip him for another player when Giddens or Walker emerge.

It helps the bench with a superb scorer in Ray as the focal point.  If we go small with the bench House, Pruitt, and Ray on the perimeter…someone’s got to be hot.  This will also quiet all the "Nervous Nancys" because Posey is no longer around.

It helps extend Ray’s career and prolong his productive years.

All this of course is contingent on Tony being healthy, if he isn’t…forget it.

Be reminded that Manu came off the bench in favor of Finley last year for the Spurs so this isn’t an unprecedented notion.  The better player doesn’t always have to start.  It’s who finishes that counts.

In the infamous words of Tanguay..."why not?"

[wdleehi]

Why change the championship starting lineup?

[crownsy]

If Tony needs extended minutes to have a positive impact why not have him start and Ray come off the bench?

It helps Tony with his confidence and will help his production possibly with an eye to flip him for another player when Giddens or Walker emerge.

It helps the bench with a superb scorer in Ray as the focal point.  If we go small with the bench House, Pruitt, and Ray on the perimeter…someone’s got to be hot.  This will also quiet all the "Nervous Nancys" because Posey is no longer around.

It helps extend Ray’s career and prolong his productive years.

All this of course is contingent on Tony being healthy, if he isn’t…forget it.

Be reminded that Manu came off the bench in favor of Finley last year for the Spurs so this isn’t an unprecedented notion.  The better player doesn’t always have to start.  It’s who finishes that counts.

In the infamous words of Tanguay..."why not?"

why not, well lets see.

1. TA is a bad ball handler, ray is very good. generaly you want your starters not to pass to the other team (finley protects the rock)



2. Tony cant shoot a 3 to save his life, ray allen will retire as the number 1 3 point shooter of all time, currently #2

3. TA was the 11th man on the bench in the playoffs 3 months ago. ray allen was arguably the finals MVP.

4. tony has one of the highest turnover ratios in the NBA per mintue. ray protects the ball.

5. if he fails at all, it destroys his confidance.

6. it makes no sense to disrupt a starting lineup that one 67 games and an nba championship a year ago.

7. finley is a much better player than TA, which is why it works in SA.

and on the positive side:

1. ray is an above average team defender, Ta is better. this is the onyl positive. everything else, ray does much better.

I mean, TA isn't even your best 2 off the bench, except defensivly. house is.

thsi move makes zero sense.

[Emperor Young]

This is a bad idea.. Ray's ability to shoot spreads the floor. More Isolation for KG, less double teams. Plus Ray needs to get in rhythm to be effective as a shooter.

[Evantime34]

that would be a slap in the face to Ray, although he struggled at some points in the playoffs he is still an all star and I expect him to be one next year.

[celticmaestro]

No.

[houlana]

If Tony needs extended minutes to have a positive impact why not have him start and Ray come off the bench?

It helps Tony with his confidence and will help his production possibly with an eye to flip him for another player when Giddens or Walker emerge.

It helps the bench with a superb scorer in Ray as the focal point.  If we go small with the bench House, Pruitt, and Ray on the perimeter?someone?s got to be hot.  This will also quiet all the "Nervous Nancys" because Posey is no longer around.

It helps extend Ray?s career and prolong his productive years.

All this of course is contingent on Tony being healthy, if he isn?t?forget it.

Be reminded that Manu came off the bench in favor of Finley last year for the Spurs so this isn?t an unprecedented notion.  The better player doesn?t always have to start.  It?s who finishes that counts.

In the infamous words of Tanguay..."why not?"

im not going to argue this because pritty much everybody that replied to this thread made a good point.

r u serious about starting Tony? right now, we want to defend our championship, not work on Tony's confidence, the best player should start.

[nickagneta]

I'm not sure I'm eloquent enough to describe what a truly horrible idea this is. Sorry, just my opinion.

[dwlefty13]

Bad idea


Tony is okay if were a rebuilding team then yea, but this show the ultimate disrespect to Ray Allen, a HOF player who is the king of the 3-point shot.

Until Tony Allen can CONSTANTLY imporve his game to where he's about 10ppg of the bench I don't see it happen


Unless Ray gets hurt of course  

[Vermont Green]

Didn't this come up a few times last year?

I think it is more likely that O'Bryant becomes a starter than Tony Allen (and both are pretty unlikely).

[Atzar]

I'm not convinced that he can earn regular minutes over JR Giddens, let alone Ray Allen.  Let's let him find a spot in the rotation before tossing up ideas like this.

[Petro]

Guys lets back up a bit Tony Allen is not that good. Maybe a decent role player at best.Was not used much in the playoffs and just hasn't been the same since the surgery. He has problems focusing on the court and is shaky most of the time. How in the world can you even suggest that he starts over anybody? Before the injury maybe we all saw flashes of what he can do. But a guy like TA depends on his athleticsm without that he's not that good period.

[zerophase]

he'll have to play like the all-star tony allen and sugar ray will have to be worst than the cold stretch during the playoffs if he's going to get the start over ray ray.

[Michael Anthony]

I understand the logic -

Ray still gets his 36 minutes per night, boosts a second unit that need the help, and saves his legs for the stretch
Tony provides disruptive defense against scoring wings, plays better as a starter, and we have enough offense in the starting rotation

- but do not agree with the execution. Tony makes it three players that cannot shoot in the starting unit, pulling KG and Pierce out of the lane. He was never very good for more than a stretch or two, and he is a major questionmark this year.

If you swap TA for vintage Raja Bell or Bruce Bowen, guys that lock it up on D and spread the floor, you have a better argument.

[ACF]

No.

Or, as we say in Denmark, "nej".