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New York Knicks: Ray Allen Not a Good Fit

By Maurice Moton

Jun 25, 2015; Cromwell, CT, USA; NBA player Ray Allen walks the course in the first round at TPC River Highlands. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Cromwell, CT, USA; NBA player Ray Allen walks the course in the first round at TPC River Highlands. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Knicks superfan Spike Lee took the initiative to recruit his former film role star Ray Allen. It was a good idea two decades ago, not right now.

The New York Knicks’ revamped roster doesn’t need a 41-year-old sharpshooter in Ray Allen.

Remember, you all laughed at Derek Fisher for his Facebook post insinuating a return to the court? Well, he and Allen are 41 years old. The former turns 42 on Tuesday. Still, neither Allen nor Fisher has played an NBA game since the 2014 postseason.

Allen lost in the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat to the San Antonio Spurs. Fisher’s Oklahoma City Thunder squad lost to the same team.

Fans, including Spike Lee, have gravitated toward Allen as a missing piece to a potential playoff contender. According to Hartford Courant reporter Dom Amore, Lee has contacted the free agent sharpshooter about suiting up for the Knicks in the upcoming season:

“Spike Lee has been trying to recruit me,” Allen said. “We’ve been texting.”

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Allen starred in Lee’s 1998 movie “He Got Game” as Jesus Shuttlesworth, a budding talent in the country.

Let’s separate film from reality and leave Shuttlesworth on Netflix.

The reasoning behind recruiting Allen focuses on his record-breaking three-point field goal shots made during the regular season (2,973) and playoffs (385). They forget about his need to shake off a little more than two years of rust on his rhythm.

Furthermore, Allen fits on a roster that simply needs a shooter to put the team over the top. As constructed, the Knicks have a lineup that doesn’t even rank within the top three in the Eastern Conference.

If you’re optimistic about the roster changes with an argument favoring the Knicks as a top-three club in the East, Allen doesn’t provide an alternative for the injury concerns within the starting lineup.

With point guard Derrick Rose and center Joakim Noah an awkward tweak away from sitting on the bench for an extended time in street clothes, New York must load up on volume veteran players. There’s too much youth among the reserves to bring in a shooter, who’s going to average10-12 minutes per game.

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Allen’s skill set bests suits a team like the Golden State Warriors or the Cleveland Cavaliers, who expect to play for an NBA title. He’s already talked about retirement if he doesn’t land on a roster, per Amore:

“At the start of the year, if nothing pans out, then basically I’ll retire,” Allen said.

With possibly one year left in the tank as a spot shooter for half quarters, the Knicks need a lot more to contend with the Toronto Raptors, Cavaliers and Boston Celtics who added forward Al Horford during the offseason and have the assets to execute a blockbuster trade deal at the deadline in February.

At 41 years old, two years removed from action, Allen isn’t the rotational player needed to improve the Knicks’ 2016-17 season outlook.

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