If we had kept Tony Allen...

[Chris]

Let me also add that Tony would absolutely kill us on offense against the Heat.  They are ball hawks, and they force even the best players into turnovers.  So, the only thing we could do with Tony is try to hide him, but all that would do would give the Heat another player to roam and deny the ball from getting to the guys we actually want to have the ball in their hands. 

Unless Tony could litterally shut Wade down (which he can't), he is more harm than good given what the C's need against this team.

[CelticSooner]

Tony Allen is a good defender but he wouldnt be able to stop Wade and James...

Last year he stopped both of them and Kobe Bryant...Kobe shot like 14% with Tony on him

Wade averaged 33 points a game against the C's in last year's playoffs. He averaged 12 points in the 4 previous meetings prior to this series. He has raised his game and it's showing. Gotta slow him down to have a chance.

[WedmanIsMyHero]

Fair point. Anyone have the data on Wade with Tony Allen on him versus other players on him? Also, it still created more time/conserved energy for Ray Allen and Pierce.

I completely agree. Anyone else remember what a great job Allen did on Wade last year. . .

[dang], that quote really hurts my heart.  He wanted to be hear, be a Celtic.

Moving him and Perk changed this team's entire identity.  Just look at what he's done for Memphis' defense off the bench.  It's incredible

Yeah.  Like I mentioned, I never loved Tony much when he was here.  When Danny said "it wasn't about the money", and Tony came out and said he wanted more of the spotlight, I took that to mean that Tony ditched us.  

To hear that he would have gladly signed here for the same contract, and that he truly was a Celtic at heart kind of stings.  I can't be a total hypocrite and fault Danny too much for passing on Tony, but in hindsight, it hurts.  Tony would have been a huge help this season, and he most likely would have kept Perk in green.

Wade's playoff games last year vs. Boston:

Game One: 40 minutes, 11-18 shooting, .611 pct   
Game Two: 37 minutes, 11-18 shooting, .611 pct   
Game Three: 43 minutes, 14-26 shooting,   .538 pct   
Game Four: 43 minutes, 16-24 shooting, .667
Game Five: 46 minutes, 10-24 shooting, .417 pct

Average for the series: 41.8 minutes, 12.4-22.0 shooting, .564 pct

Tony Allen's minutes in that series decreased steadily, starting at 29 minutes in Game One, down to 17 for Game Two, 14 each for Games Three and Four, and 9 minutes in Game Five.

[Boris Badenov]

Hypothetical, somewhat unrelated and possibly completely depressing thought:

Even if we wanted to get TA back from Memphis after this year, we might not be able to trade Jeff Green for him.

[Lucky17]

Hypothetical, somewhat unrelated and possibly completely depressing thought:

Even if we wanted to get TA back from Memphis after this year, we might not be able to trade Jeff Green for him.

True. Salaries don't match. Green's QO is already too high.

[WedmanIsMyHero]

Actually, here's some more information on Tony Allen's defense in the playoffs last year. The last thing has INDIVIDUAL defender data, which is superior to data on Wade's overall statistics in a given game.

1. Allen had the highest steals rate of anyone in the NBA playoffs last year (4.61 per 48 minutes).

2. Note this article from Chris Sheridan specifically pointing to Tony Allen's defense on Wade as a key reason the Celtics won Game 1 last year: http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-100417/daily-dime

3. Tony Allen's "Opponent Field Goal Percentage Against" in the 2010 playoffs was 11th in the entire NBA last year, and behind only Perkins on the Celtics. That proves he was a superior defensive option to whoever is on Wade or LeBron now: http://www.backpicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/fg-against-2010-playoffs.pdf

Tony Allen is a good defender but he wouldnt be able to stop Wade and James...

Last year he stopped both of them and Kobe Bryant...Kobe shot like 14% with Tony on him

Wade averaged 33 points a game against the C's in last year's playoffs. He averaged 12 points in the 4 previous meetings prior to this series. He has raised his game and it's showing. Gotta slow him down to have a chance.

[SHAQATTACK]

Yes...I agree ..TOny would have helped off the bench....too late .for...what ifs.

Lets GET some new Superstars ...no more worn out has beens.

[jowwwman]

Hypothetical, somewhat unrelated and possibly completely depressing thought:

Even if we wanted to get TA back from Memphis after this year, we might not be able to trade Jeff Green for him.

Memphis would have to be [stupid] to make that trade. The Memphis fans love TA, and he is one of the factors to why they are playing so well in the playoffs. Jeff Green is a major factor to why we are sucking so bad right now. Straight up trade him next year I don't even care what we get back.

[footey]

Wouldn't it be much more productive, much better for the team we are fans of, to figure out ways to beat the Heat with our current players, rather than lamenting, or debating over, players no longer here?  It seems the great focus on the latter is an implicit resignation to a loss to the Heats in this series. Last time I checked, we are down 2-0 to a team on their court.  Neither game was a blow out, each was winnable well into the game.  Heat deserved both, so what?? 

[Lucky17]

Wouldn't it be much more productive, much better for the team we are fans of, to figure out ways to beat the Heat with our current players, rather than lamenting, or debating over, players no longer here?  It seems the great focus on the latter is an implicit resignation to a loss to the Heats in this series. Last time I checked, we are down 2-0 to a team on their court.  Neither game was a blow out, each was winnable well into the game.  Heat deserved both, so what?? 

This is the thread for pining after "Trick or Treat" Tony. That kind of crazy talk doesn't belong here.

[Roy H.]

Wouldn't it be much more productive, much better for the team we are fans of, to figure out ways to beat the Heat with our current players, rather than lamenting, or debating over, players no longer here?  It seems the great focus on the latter is an implicit resignation to a loss to the Heats in this series. Last time I checked, we are down 2-0 to a team on their court.  Neither game was a blow out, each was winnable well into the game.  Heat deserved both, so what??  

I'm not sure that one is "better" or "more productive" than the other.  It's not like Doc is searching this forum for ideas.  The forum is big enough for people to talk about a wide range of things.

[angryguy77]

Wouldn't it be much more productive, much better for the team we are fans of, to figure out ways to beat the Heat with our current players, rather than lamenting, or debating over, players no longer here?  It seems the great focus on the latter is an implicit resignation to a loss to the Heats in this series. Last time I checked, we are down 2-0 to a team on their court.  Neither game was a blow out, each was winnable well into the game.  Heat deserved both, so what??  

I'm not sure that one is "better" or "more productive" than the other.  It's not like Doc is searching this forum for ideas.  The forum is big enough for people to talk about a wide range of things.

I wouldn't count it out the way he's been coaching the last two game.

[nickagneta]

[dang], that quote really hurts my heart.  He wanted to be hear, be a Celtic.

Moving him and Perk changed this team's entire identity.  Just look at what he's done for Memphis' defense off the bench.  It's incredible

Yeah.  Like I mentioned, I never loved Tony much when he was here.  When Danny said "it wasn't about the money", and Tony came out and said he wanted more of the spotlight, I took that to mean that Tony ditched us. 

To hear that he would have gladly signed here for the same contract, and that he truly was a Celtic at heart kind of stings.  I can't be a total hypocrite and fault Danny too much for passing on Tony, but in hindsight, it hurts.  Tony would have been a huge help this season, and he most likely would have kept Perk in green.

Okay, maybe I am missing something, but how exactly would Tony still being here have caused Perk not to be traded? Is Tony the GM, because if he is then couldn't he have just signed himself?

Sorry, Roy, I don't buy that. Perk's demise here had more to do with contract demands, injury history, current injury and effect to his current game, and Danny's opinion that Shaq and Jermaine would be healthy and a better fit for this team than the need for trading a seemingly indispensable player because we so needed a backup at the wing position. Ultimately Danny was wrong about Shaq and JO but hat doesn't mean if Tony was here Danny wouldn't have still pulled off the trade.

And, while at first I liked the trade I have to say it is probably more the reason for a lackluster second half and mediocre playoff showing than by the C's than Tony Allen not being here is.

[Onslaught]

Yes...I agree ..TOny would have helped off the bench....too late .for...what ifs.

Lets GET some new Superstars ...no more worn out has beens.

Um, you use Shaq as a name and cal the others has beens?

[Boris Badenov]

Hypothetical, somewhat unrelated and possibly completely depressing thought:

Even if we wanted to get TA back from Memphis after this year, we might not be able to trade Jeff Green for him.

True. Salaries don't match. Green's QO is already too high.

Well, that's one reason it's hypothetical. (Another is that if Danny proposed this he would get chased out of Boston by an angry mob).

I'm just making the point that we let someone walk, then to fill his absence traded another (more valuable) asset for someone much worse than the person we let walk.

Unless they can surgically implant KG's brain in Green's body over the offseason, this will go down as DA's worst series of decisions.