Scouting Report

Ray Allen is still going strong. He did show some signs of decline last season, specifically after his record setting game in the NBA Finals which he followed up by going four-of-28 in games three through seven, but he still possesses the league’s prettiest jumpshot and proved during that record setting game that he can still explode for 30 on any given night.

Allen may not be able to create his own shot very often anymore, requiring several staggered screens to get him open looks, but when you have assets in the post when it comes to screen setting like Boston does, why not use them? Ray’s most frequent offensive set by far was coming off screens, which he did 509 times. He scored .94 points per possession in those situations, according to Synergy Sports Technology, the 44th best mark in the league.

In spot-up situations, Allen scored 1.2 points per possession, the 25th best mark in the league, where he shot 40% from three. When trailing in transition or simply sliding over on the wing when Rajon Rondo attacks the paint, Allen often finds himself wide open on the wing, which is puzzling considering his unbelievable success rate from beyond the arc.

Overall, Allen ranked as the 39th best scorer in the league with a 1.04 points per possession rate. He did shoot his worst percentage from three since 1996, at just 36%, but I’m sure not many coaches would rather have anybody else as their designated shooter. Defensively, Allen is a hard worker and does a better job against top scorers than you’d think a 34-year old would. But he isn’t great and he ranked as low as 232nd in isolation defensive sets.

Allen will continue to be a great shooter until he retires but he did show last season that he may not be able to shoot as efficiently as he once did. That being said, there are few better pure scorers and Boston’s offense is a perfect fit for him.