If you cant beat em join em, Ray Allen picks Heat over Celtics

Image from Redsarmy.com

Ray Allen has agreed to leave the Boston Celtics and join rival and defending champion Miami Heat. The Heat will give Allen their Mid level exception that will pay Allen roughly 9.5 Million over three years.  Allen is leaving more money on the table as the Celtics were willing to give Allen a 2 year 12 million deal. Thus it ends the era of the "Big Three" in Boston, many believed that Allen simply wouldn't bring himself to "betray" Pierce and Garnett and join the Heat. However, it wasnt as simple as  not wanting to make feel former teammates and friends bad.
First, Allen went through a year of scrutiny to say the least. He played during this year's postseason prolonging an Ankle surgery that was troubling him to the point that he was missing free throws. Second, he spent most of the first half of the season worrying about rumors that Celtics general manager Danny Ainge would trade him. To top it all off, he was stripped of his starting spot for Avery Bradley. It has long been established that should Allen had signed back with Boston, he would continue to come off the bench.
So why leave to the Heat? Thats simple, the defending champion at this point are a better championship contender than the aging Boston Celtics, that is first and foremost above everything else.  The Heat were favored this year before the season started, and no doubt will be the favorites this upcoming season considering they just won the whole thing.  Allen and everybody outside of Celtics nation knows that the Heat are the top dog in the Eastern Conference. In addition the Heat were willing to give Allen a third year, something Boston did not. And as a far of the notion of not starting, what would insult you more? coming off the bench for a team that you helped win a championship for a player who is not better than you? Or come off the bench for the Defending Champion and coming off the bench behind the a superstar, and the best shooting guard in the league in Dwyane Wade? (pick your poison between him or Kobe, we like Wade due to Age Kobe isn't 27 anymore)
         Ray Allen knows he will be out there come crunch time in the 4th quarter playing for the Heat. It Wont be a problem for the Heat, who played this year with so many different lineups it was like playing spin roulette in a casino. Does a lineup of Allen, Wade, lebron, Bosh, and Haslem seem so far fetched off? Not at all considering that they spent a good portion of the playoffs with Shane Battier guarding David West and Brandon Bass. The Celtics also knew that Allen and star PG Rajon Rondo were having a degenerating relationship. Instead of providing Allen with reasons to return (or try to mask coming off the bench with a bigger picture), they went out and signed Jason Terry one of the best 6th man of the last decade.
So how much better does this make the Heat? Well they now have a considerable upgrade over Mike Miller, and opens up the floor so much more for Wade and Lebron. The Heat's bench was never really good to begin with, it was one of their weaknesses alongside their lack of size. Because coach Spoelstra had no options, Lebron and Wade ended up playing Heavy minutes in the playoffs, Allen instantly upgrades their bench exponentially. More so though, it will be what he can do when playing alongside Miami's big 3 that will be crucial on their path for the Heat's third championship
-Miami will also meet with free agents Rashard Lewis and Marcus Camby this weekend
-Brandon Roy makes return as he agrees signs 2 year 10 Million deal with the Wolves
-Knicks say they will Match any Linn offer up to 1 billion dollars

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