Labeling Ray Allen as nothing but a shooter would be like saying Michael Jordan couldn’t do anything but dunk.
Naturally, Allen has earned his reputation because of a sugar-sweet stroke that has made him one of the great statistical shooters of all time. But the label, to a degree, offends him.
“Pretty much, I think people still to this day probably think I’m just a shooter,” Allen said. “I always tell people all the time, I think 26-something, 27 points is the most I’ve scored in my career average for a year. I always tell people, you don’t just shoot 3’s if you score that many points, especially if you play in a system that’s open, posting up, getting the ball to the hole, midrange, everything.”
Allen has made 2,314 career 3-pointers, which is second all-time behind Reggie Miller’s 2,560. If Allen continues with his career average of 2.4 per game, he’ll pass Miller sometime in the middle of next season.
While he makes his living from the perimeter, Allen is still completely capable of dissecting a defense and embarrassing a big man with a loud dunk.
Even though his scoring has tapered off in Boston with great players all around, his scoring options have increased because he is smart enough to beat a cheating defense.
“You’ve got to be able to score from every position on the floor,” Allen said. “I’ve done it, and that’s why, for me now, I’m in such a great place where I’m not hell-bent on feeling like I have to score in a game.
“I can make plays, [and] be a part of a team that is trying to win championships.”
