Tony Allen for Backup Point Guard?

[Bankshot]

Well, when DA talks about Tony playing point guard, he always points to that game in LA when Tony played the point, and played well, and they won. Same thing last night, Tony plays point and they win. I guess I do see why DA is infatuated with Tony at pg. Big, strong point guard that can defend the point well and attack the paint.  But ballhandling is always an issue.

I really don't see him being the backup point, but I wonder if he can handle a couple of minutes early in the game at the position on a regular basis when defense is needed.

[dark_lord]

tony allen pg = oxymoron

[Who]

I love what Tony Allen does defensively + his rebounding at the point guard spot. Tremendous contributions in both areas. Very few point guards can match what TA can do in those categories.

Tony is a good option at the point so long as his team can effectively limit his ball-handling + playmaking responsibilities. It's a shame he never added a jump shot because that would have opened up so many options for him at the position (off the ball offensively).

[Rtpas11]

My only problem with Tony playing the back-up point is that he can't shoot. The same problem I have with Rondo. The difference is that has shooters and scorers surrounding him making up for the fact that he can't shoot.

Tony Allen has one shooter: Eddie House (who's struggling of course because all teams know he's their #1 offensive threat coming off the bench)

Rasheed: is horrible @ shooting the 3, and excellent in the post, but yet he believes he's a better 3 point shooter.

Marquis: can't shoot, and is slow as an ox. Could score in spurts but not exactly what you need @ the position offensively.

Glen: can shoot inside the 3 and score down-low (nothing negative about Glen Davis to be said. I honestly believe he's the key to the 2nd team success offensively when healthy)

[snively]

Unless we trade for a PG, TA is going to be part of the back-up PG platoon.

Last night TA, Ray, Lester and House alternated as the PG.  When Marcus Banks came in and started applying full court pressure (the memories!) they just had whoever had the laziest defender bring up the ball.  

TA is a better option than House for making post entry passes and passes to curling jump shooters because Eddie's just too small to see over the defense or pass over any kind of pressure defense.

But the biggest back-up PG issue we have TA doesn't solve: pick and roll ball-handling.  Rondo is the only guy on the team who can consistently get penetration off of a pick and roll.  Ray is probably the next best, because his pull-up is so deadly, but he doesn't have the jets or the passing ability to consistently punish good defenses.  Likewise, Paul is pretty good, but he's much better suited working from 18 feet in.

[hwangjini_1]

good tony is a good sg with some impressive abilities to finish around the basket and play defense.

good tony is a passable pg, based upon his play in the last game, when he has other players to help him out (ray, house, et al) good tony can probably play pg fairly well for 15 minutes a game.

however...

while i do not have deep and abiding reservations about good tony playing back up pg for 15 a game, i do worry a LOT that in about 1/2 of tony's games, the bad tony shows up instead of the good tony.

when bad tony shows up you can expect turnovers, poor decisions, and ball hogging as opposed to ball distribution.

when bad tony is a sg, you can bench his butt. but if bad tony is your back up pg it is more of a problem. pg's need to handle to ball alot, which means bad tony has more chances to make mistakes.

pg is more central to the celtics ball movement game. bad tony would hurt the team there more than as a sg.

so, tony as emergency pg is fine with me. and if doc could implant little nano-critters in tony's brain to ensure only good tony appears, i am all for tony being a back up pg.

but until doc figures out nanotechnology, i hope tony is the emergency pg only.

[Overrated]

I would rather have Daniels at backup point, but since that isn't an option at the moment, I like Tony. Eddie makes me cringe when he brings the ball up the floor 

At the point Tony doesn't need to shoot jumpers - he just needs to protect the ball, distribute, and get to the basket, all of which he does pretty well if he's not out of control. Often times the best perimeter player on the opposing team is the point guard, so that works out too.

[wdleehi]

TA with the ball and having to make decisions is only a good thing for the other team. 

[Fafnir]

TA with the ball and having to make decisions is only a good thing for the other team. 

Exactly, Ray Allen was running the offense with Doc calling all of the plays last night.

Tony can spot start, but he doesn't run the offense like we need from a PG.

[xmuscularghandix]

TA with the ball and having to make decisions is only a good thing for the other team. 

Exactly, Ray Allen was running the offense with Doc calling all of the plays last night.

Tony can spot start, but he doesn't run the offense like we need from a PG.

I trust Ray running the Offense just as much as i trust TA. Although it's not like either of them are doing CP3 impressions, the ball moves regardless.

On another note, i wish that Rondo would show the same aggressiveness attacking the hoop that TA does.

[Bankshot]

TA with the ball and having to make decisions is only a good thing for the other team. 

Exactly, Ray Allen was running the offense with Doc calling all of the plays last night.

Tony can spot start, but he doesn't run the offense like we need from a PG.

I trust Ray running the Offense just as much as i trust TA. Although it's not like either of them are doing CP3 impressions, the ball moves regardless.

On another note, i wish that Rondo would show the same aggressiveness attacking the hoop that TA does.

I actually trust TA more than Ray.  I'd say about 6 out of 10 times, Ray will turn it over when he brings the ball up, he always does (at least that's what it seems like).

[2short]

Tony can bring the ball over midcourt better than eddie but he is not a pg.  He picks up his dribble way to early.  Daniels controls the flow of offense nicely but we really only have rondo.  Tony for 3rd string pg I'm ok with, his defense should (should) make up for any mistakes he makes.

[Fafnir]

TA with the ball and having to make decisions is only a good thing for the other team. 

Exactly, Ray Allen was running the offense with Doc calling all of the plays last night.

Tony can spot start, but he doesn't run the offense like we need from a PG.

I trust Ray running the Offense just as much as i trust TA. Although it's not like either of them are doing CP3 impressions, the ball moves regardless.

On another note, i wish that Rondo would show the same aggressiveness attacking the hoop that TA does.

I actually trust TA more than Ray.  I'd say about 6 out of 10 times, Ray will turn it over when he brings the ball up, he always does (at least that's what it seems like).

Ray brings up the ball plenty and rarely turns it over in the half court.

His issues are kicking off penetration and in the fast break.

[BballTim]

TA with the ball and having to make decisions is only a good thing for the other team. 

Exactly, Ray Allen was running the offense with Doc calling all of the plays last night.

Tony can spot start, but he doesn't run the offense like we need from a PG.

I trust Ray running the Offense just as much as i trust TA. Although it's not like either of them are doing CP3 impressions, the ball moves regardless.

On another note, i wish that Rondo would show the same aggressiveness attacking the hoop that TA does.

I actually trust TA more than Ray.  I'd say about 6 out of 10 times, Ray will turn it over when he brings the ball up, he always does (at least that's what it seems like).

Ray brings up the ball plenty and rarely turns it over in the half court.

His issues are kicking off penetration and in the fast break.

  I don't know that Ray or Paul, playing the facilitator, would turn the ball over significantly less than Tony. A little less but not dramatically less.

[Chris]

TA with the ball and having to make decisions is only a good thing for the other team. 

The thing is, with Tony it is a double-edged sword.  If he does not have the ball in his hands, he is completely useless on offense, because he cannot shoot, and it seems like he still makes the same amount of dumb plays, whether he has the ball or not...and at least if he has the ball in his hands, he makes some good plays as well to start to offset the bad ones.

But to have the ball in his hands on this team when they are healthy, you would be taking it out of the hands of vastly superior players.

So what I am saying is that they need to trade him while his value is slightly higher, because as soon as the regulars come back, bad Tony will return.