This may be something Ray Allen has to deal with for the rest of his career.
Allen has not looked like his vintage self in the preseason — he is 6-of-22 from three (27.3 percent) and admits he’s not been able to get in into the kind of shape he wants.
The reason for the conditioning (and at least part of the shooting) is the surgically repaired ankle that is still giving him problems, he told ESPN’s Heat Index.“I still deal with soreness in my ankle that I work through every day,” Allen said after the Heat’s practice Monday at AmericanAirlines Arena.
“I would like to be in better shape, better condition,” Allen said. “So, you know, I still have to make sure I don’t do too much pounding, because I’m a runner. On off days, I like to run. Right now, I’ve switched to the bicycle to stay off the pounding as much.”
For a lot of guys you might be concerned, but for a veteran like Allen it’s less of one. He knows what the preseason is for, he knows that it’s hard to get in a flow with the inconsistent and unpredictable minutes the preseason brings.
But it’s something to watch going forward. The Heat already have their share of banged up long-range shooters (Mario Chalmers is due back this week, Mike Miller is the walking injured) they don’t need another one. Especially if it is Ray Allen.