Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

Hey, Ray Allen…Why Not the OKC Thunder?

By David Ramil

facebooktwitterreddit

A recent post by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst shed some light on the most sought after free agent that may not actually be a free agent – 39-year-old sharpshooter Ray Allen.

Allen, who spent the past two seasons with the Miami Heat, is said to be considering retirement or joining any one of a number of teams that Windhorst lists in his post:

"Allen, 39, still has not decided whether he wants to return for a 19th season but has been keeping in shape and doing on-court work to keep his options open. Additionally, Allen has been in contact with teams to explore his possibilities and may take meetings during the upcoming All-Star break.Numerous teams have been staying in touch with Allen in hopes of signing him, including the Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers and, recently, the Atlanta Hawks."

All the teams on Allen’s alleged list of options are likely to compete for a championship and have achieved some current regular-season success. The lone exception is Miami, currently struggling to make the playoffs and not considered a legitimate title contender.

But this all begs the question: Why not the Oklahoma City Thunder?

Here’s why Allen should definite add the Thunder to his list of potential employers.

Roster Space

The Thunder are rumored to be considering a number of trades involving any number of players. While Steven Adams’ injury seems to have guaranteed that Kendrick Perkins is – for now – off limits in trade talks, several wing players could be moved to accommodate Allen.

Reggie Jackson, Ish Smith, Jeremy Lamb or Perry Jones III could all be sent elsewhere in order to bring Allen aboard.

Among that group, only Jackson plays considerable minutes. And while he could be traded for another point guard, Dion Waiters could handle the point and let Allen provide the invaluable floor spacing that OKC desperately needs.

If pulling the trigger on a long-rumored trade for Jackson gets you the best 3-point shooter in history, then by all means.

Pull away.

Fit and Chemistry

Allen is an accomplished veteran and during his Hall-of-Fame career, he’s played for a total of four different teams (Milwaukee, Seattle, Boston and Miami). Each of those units had various the characters, personalities and typical human idiosyncrasies that are on any NBA roster.

And through it all, he blended in seamlessly and left behind a lasting impression.

Allen is a tireless worker, a consummate perfectionist and has harnessed his craft as well as anyone in NBA history. Even working with a player like LeBron James in Miami, his dedication taught the four-time MVP how to better prepare himself for the daily rigors of professional basketball.

You could expect that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook would likely also be inspired by the lessons of Allen’s 18-year career to reach new levels of achievement.

He’s previously toiled alongside Nick Collison (Seattle) and Kendrick Perkins (Boston). And if Allen does decide to join a team, his singular reason – his ultimate focus – would be to win a championship.

***

It’s that laser-like pursuit that could make the pairing of Allen and the Oklahoma City Thunder the most dangerous team in the league.

The Thunder are already dangerous, combining Durant’s effective scoring with Westbrook’s bowling-ball athleticism. But they lack consistent long-range mastery, with only K.D. and Serge Ibaka considered good long-range shooters (at 39.5 and 39.2 percent, respectively) with Lamb a distant third at 37 percent.

Allen’s 40 percent shooting from 3-point range has smoothly led him to be the top marksman in NBA history with 2,973 made 3-pointers.

The vision of Durant, Westbrook and Allen leading the fast break is a tantalizing one. Who do you stop? Who do you try to defend with these three otherworldly talents all capable of scoring at will?

While the Thunder weren’t listed as one of Allen’s options, it’s clear that his addition would lead both he and the team to their championship goals for this season.

More from Thunderous Intentions

Home/Thunder News