Allen gets his shot

NBA. Doc Rivers has found himself with somewhat of a good problem this season: he’s actually having a difficult time finding a permanent spot in the rotation for Tony Allen.

It sounds easy enough to fix. Allen, more of a pure shooting guard, is versatile enough to run the point and is fast enough on the defensive end to hang with most small forwards.

But Allen tore the ACL in his left knee last January, and he’s been fighting to get back to full strength. His inconsistencies at critical times haven’t always served as a solid vote of confidence for the coaching staff. Plus, Eddie House and James Posey have done well off the bench, while Rajon Rondo has been too good for Rivers to split time at point guard.

“It’s tough,” Rivers said. “It is a game-to-game thing, and I’ve got to do a better job there.

“We need Tony,” Rivers added. “The knee and all that, and I understand that. That’s going to take time. But I have to find a better way of just keeping him involved because he’s an energy player, and it’s tough for energy players to play when they don’t have a lot of minutes.”

Rivers found an easy solution last night. With Ray Allen out with a neck injury, Tony Allen made his fourth start of the year. He thrived in his first three, averaging 12.3 points per game, compared to his season average of 5.7.

His teammates are noticing a more confident player, too, noting Allen is back to normal in the weight room and is nearing that same point on the court.

“He’s gaining a lot of confidence in himself, and that’s something Tony needs,” Paul Pierce said. “He’s one of those players that sometimes gets up and down with his emotions. But, when he’s out there playing with confidence, that’s when he’s at his best. With extended minutes, as you’ve seen last year and this year, he’s played really well.”