"I think people forget that Ray Allen was more than just a shooter" - Steve Smith on why Ray Allen deserves more praise as a complete player
Whenever Ray Allen gets brought up in basketball discourse, he often gets labeled as only an elite three-point shooter. That should not be how people look at Allen because he was one of the most complete shooting guards in the NBA during his prime.
Ahead of NBA 75, Ray was named one of the 75 best players in history. This led to some people discussing whether Allen deserved to be part of the talented group, to which older basketball fans took offense. One of the people who showed appreciation for Ray Ray was Steve Smith, who summarized why Allen deserves the distinction.
"One of the greatest shooters of all time, and obviously, his record was recently broken by Steph Curry, but I think people forget Ray Allen was more than just a shooter," Smith said ahead of NBA 75. "I remember the Milwaukee/Seattle Ray Allen, very athletic, dunking on people, and also having the ability to step out to the three-point line and hit clutch shots."
Allen worked hard to become the player he was
Most people might forget how good Allen was, but he was a shooting guard on a similar level to his peers. Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady were the pinnacle of the shooting guard position, leading to Ray getting overlooked during that era. He was a high-level scorer while being the focal point of teams competing for Playoff spots with the Milwaukee Bucks and Seattle SuperSonics.
When he grew older and his athleticism dwindled, Allen adapted. He became a three-point specialist who went through screens and knew how to take angles with his off-ball movement. That helped him build a reputation as the knockdown shooter beyond his prime. Still, it did undo some of the reputation he built as a go-to guy in previous years.
"One of those guys who was a technician. He understood his work ethic and dedication, and he was disciplined. He wanted all the details, all the i's dotted before he came onto the court," Smith continued regarding his praise for Ray.
Allen deserved the NBA 75 nod
Ray is one of the best three-point shooters ever. However, that should not prevent people from diving into Allen's overall game because he was an elite athlete in his early years. He was dunking over everybody, and he was an elite isolation scorer who had plenty of moves in his bag.
He had a lengthy career and knew how to adjust as he grew older. However, people should not let that late-career resurgence cloud their assessment of Ray Allen because he was a true superstar who deserves praise for how he carried the Bucks and SuperSonics in the 2000s before he moved to Boston to win a championship, marking the supposed pinnacle of his career.
