Can the Nets’ Big 3 get the job done? Ray Allen isn’t so sure.
While the James Harden trade has helped the Brooklyn Nets form a true superteam given the presence of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, not everyone is sold on this star-studded roster making it to the promised land.
One of the doubters is Ray Allen, who himself teamed up with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to win a championship with the Boston Celtics, which ended up being the NBA’s first true Big 3. While Allen likes Brooklyn’s stars, he has a few problems with the rest of the team’s structure.
Much has been made about the Nets’ depth (and lack of it), this season. In an interview with FanSided, Allen claims that he worries about that exact aspect of the roster, claiming that the pieces around himself, Garnett and Pierce in Boston were integral to their championship push.
Ray Allen thinks the Brooklyn Nets need to learn from his Boston Celtics teams
"“You think about the guys that filled out that roster,” Allen said. “James Posey was an integral part of what we did…he was the glue that kept us together.”"
In addition to Posey, who made his name as an excellent perimeter defender, Allen cites players like Sam Cassell and PJ Brown as experienced veterans that helped him, Garnett and Pierce navigate the postseason.
Allen has his reservations about the players who are currently playing alongside Durant, Harden and Irving, asking, “what’s around them that can help them win when the big three aren’t at their best?” Apparently, he isn’t sold on the likes of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Bruce Brown off of the bench.
Allen’s biggest reservation about the Nets, however, is the fact that he’s uncertain if one or more of them will be willing to consistently give up shots and scoring numbers in order to win.
The NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers knows firsthand how difficult it can be for three superstars to gel on one team, and he has some constructive criticism for the Nets as they try to make this trio work.
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