Getty Ray Allen and Paul Pierce during a matchup at American Airlines Arena in Miami.
If there is anyone who knows about being part of a ‘big three’ it is two-time NBA Champion Ray Allen. Allen was one of the members of the original ‘big three’, the 2008 Boston Celtics team that featured himself, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce. Allen and the Celtics beat the late Kobe Bryant and their bitter rivals the Los Angeles Lakers for the title after just one year together. The Brooklyn Nets’ ‘big three’ of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden are looking to replicate that. The NBA’s all-time leader in three-point makes chimed in on whether he thinks the Nets can win it all in year one.
Ray Allen Talks Nets Title Chances
“I believe they have the talent to win the title, but winning the title is so much more than just an assemblage of players,” Allen told Macklin Stern of CBS Sports. “When I look at the teams I played on, some of the most important players for both championship years were P.J. Brown, Sam Cassell, James Posey, Eddie House, Leon Powe. And then James Jones, Mike Miller, Juwan Howard, Udonis Haslem, Shane Battier. Guys that took charges, guys that didn’t care about their stats.”
When you look top to bottom at Brooklyn’s team, they do not have any rough riders like the players Allen mentioned. In fact, they are the exact opposite, one of the flashiest teams in the NBA. While the crossovers and circus layups are nice, oohs and ahhs will not get you in the win column. With the trade deadline fast approaching, Nets’ General Manager Sean Marks may want to consider making a move that will assist Brooklyn’s second unit.
Ray Allen Say Titles Are Won by Role Players
“That is what will determine the elevation of this Nets team; not the best players they have, but the guys around them — that encourage them to play better, that push them to play harder to do the things that bridge the gap,” Allen said. “Some games are going to require someone aside from Kyrie, Kevin, or James to hit a shot to allow them to win a game, and they have to be OK with that. They have to be willing to put other people in those positions. That’s what makes a championship team when you have a big three like that.”
Pierce, Garnett, and Allen instantly meshed well together because they all had different skill sets. Allen was the shooter and a damn good one. Pierce did most of the ball-handling out of the ‘big three’ and Kevin Garnett did all the dirty work on the block. With Harden, Durant, and Irving they are three players who have different forms of the same skillset, so the meshing won’t come as easily.
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“They’re definitely all ball-dominant players, but I really think they can do anything,” said Allen. “From what I’ve seen from each of them is that they’re very basketball savvy. High basketball IQs. Now the question is, are they gonna do it and compromise what it is that they’ve done over their careers to get to the next level?”
Durant, Kyrie, and Harden knew that to come together, they would have to play a brand of basketball that they were not used to as they were three stars who needed the ball to operate efficiently. So far, they have not stepped on each other’s toes. They are still putting up eye-popping stats, but so far it has not equated to as many wins as they thought.
“The dynamics with those three are very different from myself, Paul and Kevin. We were hungry in 2007-08 and we hadn’t won until then,” Allen said. “Now, in the situation with these Nets, Durant has already won twice. Kyrie once. Harden hasn’t won any, so he doesn’t know what it takes to get to that Finals level. Are Durant and Kyrie hungry enough to concede to each other? They might be, but I’m not sure.”
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