Allen's Jumper Is Missing in Action

Okay, so what's actually happened?

There are a handful of theories, two of which make more sense than the others.

First, and quite plausibly, Allen knew he had to give up some of his offense to make it work with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. In Boston, Allen simply isn't going to have the ball all the time the way he did in Seattle, where Rashard Lewis was second banana, and in Milwaukee, where "Big Dog" Robinson gave way to Allen. The offensive sacrifice was necessary to make it work in Boston, but Allen never got into a groove, averaging only 17.4 points per game in the regular season.

Another explanation: Allen's getting old. He is 32. As one former NBA coach told me this week, recent ankle injuries have simply diminished Allen's ability to rise up and shoot his jumper the way he has all these years. "Guys like Dell Curry and Jon Barry could shoot until they were 60 years old," the coach said. "They never jumped. Their shots weren't dependent on rise. Ray's is. He's so dependent on his legs and his lift to shoot and it could be gone, with the injuries and age and pounding over the years."

What rings true about that second theory is that Allen has hit 35 of 36 foul shots in the playoffs, so that would suggest there's nothing wrong with his eye. Free throws don't require lift.

The question was put to Coach Doc Rivers on Wednesday, the question everybody in New England is asking. You can't take a walk to the corner store without hearing somebody ask it. Rivers, as a good coach should, essentially took one for the team when he said that Allen was being tightly covered, sometimes double-teamed, and has been moving the ball to open teammates like an unselfish veteran should. "We have to get him more touches in better rhythm," Rivers said.

Sounds nice. As long as the Celtics keep winning, it's an issue that can be deferred -- a little bit. "I'm taking what they're giving me," Allen said. "We have enough players here where I don't have to score 30 for us to win. Trust me, that's a refreshing feeling, knowing that it all isn't on me."