We're looking for every sign we can get that Tony Allen is turning some kind of corner and can be the player we think he can be. Here's one.
He said it starts with ditching the cumbersome knee brace once and for all."I took it off because I ain't wanting to wear it anymore," he declared. "I was feeling strong just doing one-on-one drills, even just shooting drills and cutting drills. I felt I was mastering that. That's what made me take it off."
I ain't wanting you to wear that thing either. There's a further glimpse, also, into the psychosis of Tony Allen... and Doc Rivers trying to break through that and get him to play with confidence.
"Doc was trying to push me all year," said the newly re-signed Allen this week. "He was saying to me: 'TA, your knee is not hurt! Quit saying your knee (expletive) hurt!"
We're analyzing Tony a lot here now... because we need him. I was fine with him never coming back, but now we need him... so we need to figure out if his head will be right.
Buried at the bottom of Mark Spears' notes today is this:
An NBA source said the Celtics remain interested in free agent forward Darius Miles, who hasn't played the last two seasons because of a knee injury.
Is Darius Miles really going to play for the Celtics? I've said no in the past... but maybe Danny is trying to pull a Belichick/Pioli and trot out talented reclamation projects that will give you a year or two of cheap production because the rest of the team is stable enough to control him. It's very Dog Whisperer: Introduce the screwed up dog in to the stable pack... and 2 minutes later the dog is fetching newspapers and slippers.
As for the competition, it looks like Josh Smith could be leaving Atlanta via sign-and-trade with some "Western Conference Power"... and maybe the Pistons. I think the Pistons should make a run at Carmelo Anthony. They could probably get him for less when think about how Denver is giving players away. Sasha Vujacic's threat to go to Europe earned him a few extra million to stay with the Lakers. Ryan Gomes is staying in Minnesota. And James Posey likes what he sees in New Orleans.
And Oklahoma City is apparently considering the following nicknames: Barons, Bison, Energy, Marshalls, Thunder and Wind. Oh... please be the last one. I can't wait for their first blowout loss, followed by the headline: "Celtics Break Wind". And if you didn't think the fix was in to move that team out of Seattle before... you might after reading this.
