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Granted Tony's situation isn't as bad as Plaxico Burress' situation. I believe Burres actually requested his release from the Giants. Still, no NBA team likes to attract negative publicity to their team and this latest news on Tony's legal problems sound as if he's in for a long 2009. Boston won't welcome this potential distraction to Tony and themselves. Tony has one year remaining and could be traded during what I expect to be an active off-season for Ainge.

The group had been attending a birthday party for former Celtic Antoine Walker at the downtown club Excalibur when a fight occurred, extending into the McDonald’s parking lot.

Curtis Ellis, 25, was killed, and another person riding in the same car with Ellis was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

According to both sources, this is the same group that was with Allen when the Celtics guard had an early morning fight with Marktwain Johnson and Nigel Odum in a Chicago restaurant in August 2005.

Though Allen was charged with aggravated battery, the charges from the 2005 incident were later dismissed.

One source said that Allen later offered to pay the medical expenses for one of the two men - which man is unclear - though Rahsaan Gordon, the attorney representing Johnson and Odum in a pending civil suit, denied that claim yesterday.

Allen will return to Chicago in July for a court date in the civil suit. At that time he will have to testify about the 2005 incident.

Both sources said Allen’s current troubles are somehow connected to last summer’s incident, and that the Celtics guard allegedly has incurred a heavy financial debt to someone in Chicago and he now refuses to repay.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/bask ... ormat=text

Tony's contract will be used between now and the next trade deadline. I don't think you could get much for him this summer, but at the deadline as part of a bigger deal he will help. At that point (and really even now) he is attractive as a Contract only, not as a player.

Never liked TA and am still a bit sore that he was hurt 2 years ago, so we had to trade West instead of him in the Allen deal.

I just hope his expiring deal can bring us Something.

That would be stupid. Tony Allen is a basketball player, not your babysitter.

This isn't even really a news story, just gossip.

Tony Allen is what? 27? Next year if we can use him in a trade deadline type deal to make salaries work, great. But if not, he is not a bad THIRD string SG/SF. And we can wait it out in next year's offseason to re-sign him because it isn't like he will even make the amount of money he is making now, so we can sign him for real cheap. If we lose out on him, who cares?

I just don't like the idea of straight up cutting him because of this situation, or for any situation at all really.

I REALLY don't like the idea of punishing a guy because somebody is trying to do him harm.

I've always been a big fan of TA, but at some point you have to say, "Enough is enough." The Celtics have given him plenty of chances, but Tony hasn't taken advantage of the organization's patience with him whether it be with injuries or off the court issues.

It's a combination of him being unlucky (injuries), poor decision making (on and off the court), and my new man-crush Bill Walker that has finally led me to the point where I think it would be best for the C's to part ways with Tony.

If we didn't have Walker and Giddens (who I tend to forget about), I would probably say give TA another chance, but the fact of the matter is we have two guys on the roster who are capable of giving us everything that Tony has in his four years in Boston and then some... especially in Walker's case.

EDIT -- And just to be clear, this quote is what I'm talking about in regards to poor decision making off the court:

According to both sources, this is the same group that was with Allen when the Celtics guard had an early morning fight with Marktwain Johnson and Nigel Odum in a Chicago restaurant in August 2005.

If this is true, it's the reason I think he should be gone. He simply shouldn't be hanging around the same guys anymore knowing the trouble that they've brought him in the past.

Whether or not this is newsworthy or not isn't the bigger point. The point is deciding if it's time to move on from Tony. Has he really progressed as a player in five seasons? This latest article simply lends to reasons that might justify trading him this off-season or prior to next season's trading deadline. In my opinion, Ainge needs to upgrade the back court this off-season. You've Ray who'll be entering the last year of his contract, House who could opt out for free agency, Giddens who saw very little playing time this season and, of course, the aforementioned Tony. Ainge won't have a first round pick this year, and I'm uncertain of who'll be there in a player in the second round who's worth the selection. So, help will have to come in the form of a trade or signing. Tony could be a part of any offer. I see no reason to wait... Why wait if it's possibly inevitable that he'll be traded?

Nobody is saying that TA was hanging out with these guys or at the recent shooting, they are just saying it is the same guys.

Eh, my feeling on Tony, and it has been this for a while: he is just not a winner. Hes not the type of player that you really want. He has some talent on D and we have him on the cheap so we are not going to get rid of him just to get rid of him, but we are not going to resign him to anything more than a very small deal.

All in all, it really is too bad he was never able to truly put it all together. He is worth much more to us than other team because we saw glimpses of what he is capable of doing. Unfortunately, when we saw these glimpses, he was "the man" on our team. Any team that has TA as their leading scorer will be lucky to win a game. If only he could use his talents as a reserve player...

Tony was on the cusp of turning the corner (offensively) before his last major knee injury of two seasons ago. Before that injury, I'd said that Tony might have been traded hadn't been for that injury. I believe he was at his highest trade value then. The thinking going into this season was he could've benefited from the departure of Posey last off-season. Unfortunately, Tony wasn't able to take full advantage of his likely increased role. The setback of injuries (notably a thumb injury) derailed an opportunity to really seize hold of that sixth man role. That role has been divided between House and Davis (before the Garnett injury).

Even before the thumb injury, I don't think he was playing that way most had expected, or at least hoped IMO.

Basically whatever TA could get us in a trade now probably will not be fair value, because like I said he is worth more to us than any other team. But he could still be a valuable asset in making salaries match in a trade.

bonsaiflipflops wrote:Whether or not this is newsworthy or not isn't the bigger point. The point is deciding if it's time to move on from Tony. Has he really progressed as a player in five seasons? This latest article simply lends to reasons that might justify trading him this off-season or prior to next season's trading deadline. In my opinion, Ainge needs to upgrade the back court this off-season. You've Ray who'll be entering the last year of his contract, House who could opt out for free agency, Giddens who saw very little playing time this season and, of course, the aforementioned Tony. Ainge won't have a first round pick this year, and I'm uncertain of who'll be there in a player in the second round who's worth the selection. So, help will have to come in the form of a trade or signing. Tony could be a part of any offer. I see no reason to wait... Why wait if it's possibly inevitable that he'll be traded?

Trades are fine, you can trade the nicest guy or the biggest PITA, but you make the trades for basketball reasons you don't need external justification. Death threats on Tony's life do nothing to affect his ability as a basketball player.

Ray Allen's step father had a contract out on his life a couple of years ago that Ray knew about for more than a year. Not only was his step father in danger, but also his mother, and possibly even Ray. This stuff happens, it can happen to someone like Tony or a nice guy like Ray, and in the end, it doesn't effect the game of basketball, so we shouldn't worry about it affecting the team.

If anything, as human beings, we should be concerned for Tony's safety, not trying to come up with ways to get rid of him.

Right now, I doubt Ainge feels limited by how the rest of the league may perceive or value Tony. Tony most likely isn't going to be traded straight-up for another player. He'll be a part of a larger deal. An expiring contract is Tony's value at the moment.

Regardless of this latest incident, Tony Allen, the player, is pretty useless, IMO. Really,what has he ever done besides get hurt?

Exactly. Little to no progression as a player and a NBA career marred by injuries.

Nothing personal... But, Ainge has to have the foresight to upgrade the off guard position. Even if Ray's extended... Who'll play behind him in the immediate future? Giddens? I'm surprised that fans are seemingly content with the current depth at this position.

2009-2010

R. Allen SG (1 year)
House G (player's option; 1 year)
T. Allen SG (1 year)
Marbury G (UFA)
Pruitt G (1 year)
Giddens SG

Why would Ainge want to cut ties with Tony? I still do not know what happend with Tony and all this death threats.

Good luck to him and the Boston team. Look forward seeing you guys in the finals again.

That is if both teams make it.

Tommy Trojan wrote:Why would Ainge want to cut ties with Tony?

His season has been continually cut short due to injuries. He has only played seventy plus games only twice in five seasons. In other words, he isn't a durable player. Unfortunately, his proneness for injuries at unexpected times affects the team since it's his defense that is most needed. Not to mention, Boston may have a more talented version of him in Giddens. And he'll enter next season as the last year of his contract. In my opinion, that's enough for me to move-on from him and see what I've in Giddens or can sign in a replacement through free agency this off-season or in an acquisition via a trade.

How many more years is required for Ainge to make a fair determination of Tony's place on this team if looking at the bigger picture? I mean Posey signing elsewhere as a free agent somewhat affected the decision by Ainge to resign Tony. If Posey hadn't left... Who knows whether or not Ainge would've resigned Tony even if Rivers desired to have him back. Simply, I feel like Tony has used up his chances... I'm not faulting him for getting hurt. But, you can control what you do when you're healthy. Bottom line is: He hasn't developed to the point as a player where you can say that he has entrenched himself on this roster.

Considering Tony will receive $2.5 m next season, Ainge could easily cut ties with him. He's been pretty useless to this team, and he seems to carry a lot of off-court baggage that could distract his teammates.

You guys don't get it. Can't you see that they are trying to distract us? It is a cheap shot.