With the Miami Heat knocking the Boston Celtics out of the NBA playoffs shooting guard Ray Allen has revealed that his No. 1 priority this offseason will be to remove a painful bone spur in his right ankle, an injury that hindered his regular and off-season performances.
Speaking to reporters Allen revealed:
“That’s my first priority, just going into surgery sometime. If I can do it tomorrow, I would do it tomorrow. That’s probably my main concern right now, is taking care of that. My body feels good. That’s been my only issue. After that, it’s hard to say.”
Allen had been playing with a tweaked ankle since March and he missed six games before returning to the lineup, he was eventually sitting out as second-year guard Avery Bradley replaced Allen during the final nine games of the regular season and the first two games of the NBA playoffs. Allen returned and played on his injured ankle for his teams final 18 playoff games.
Allen continued to play with uneven steadiness throughout the playoffs but was an essential part of the teams roster after Avery Bradley was forced to undergo a season-ending shoulder surgery during the conference semifinals.
Ray Allen has not given any hint about his future in the NBA, while he earned $10 million this season he was in the final season of a two-year, $20 million contract.
Allen wouldn’t say whether or not the teams “big four” would return in their entirety next year but he said his plans are still to play:
“There’s still a lot of basketball left in my legs. I know that for sure. So it’s hard to say what can happen, what may happen. But (Boston’s Big Four know) how to play basketball. We know how to win games.”
Do you think Ray Allen will return to the Boston Celtics or another NBA team for the 2012-2013 season?