RealGM

WALTHAM -- Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers deemed guard Tony Allen "day to day" with ankle soreness after he missed Friday's open practice in Lowell.

But after once again sitting out Saturday's session at the Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint, Allen didn't seem so keen on the timetable for his return.

Allen, rehabbing from arthroscopic right ankle surgery and posterior tibial tendon repair during the offseason, talked about recent setbacks Saturday, pointing to inflammation and scar tissue in the ankle.

Allen also noted he might have been a bit too enthusiastic about trying to get back on the court -- he approached Rivers just before tipoff of an exhibition game against the New York Knicks on Oct. 9 -- and the ankle hasn't responded well since he logged a little over eight scoreless minutes.

Now it sounds like Allen might not be ready to return to game action until the second week of the season.

"It was unfortunate that it swelled up on me afterwards," said Allen. "It was aching pretty bad. I'm just focusing on trying to get this right. I know it's going to take a little time, but I feel my body is in shape."

Entering his sixth season in Boston, Allen has been riddled with injuries ever since he appeared to be breaking out early in the 2006-07 campaign. In January of 2007, he tore both the ACL and MCL in his left knee while attempting a post-whistle dunk and missed the remainder of the season.

Allen was underwhelming after returning to the court in 2007-08 (averaging career-lows in both field-goal percentage and steals). Last season he underwent surgery on his left thumb after a freak accident at practice and, despite a short bench in the postseason, he was ultimately a non-factor for the Celtics.

Allen remains confident about his return to action.

"I've got days for extra strengthening, extra conditioning, I feel good from that standpoint," he said. "It's just an aching injury, that they expected to be aching around this point."

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This guy is an all-time great tease. So disappointing.

I really wish we could get half a season of a healthy Tony Allen someday.... =|

I feel so bad for TA. He's got the worst luck.

I think a lot of people had their fingers crossed for a few years that each season would be the one he turns it around. That patience and optimism has pretty much run out even for his more ardent fans, what with the non-stop injuries and general inconsistency that has plagued much of his career. TA basically just needs solid, consistent minutes to get into a groove. All those injuries, lack of confidence and boneheadedness have prevented that from ever being an option, especially on a championship caliber squad where everyone ahead of him deserves those minutes more than he does. Don't get me wrong, he still has some use but you just have no idea what you'll be getting from him.

I've always been a fan of the way he plays the game, when he's not bouncing the ball of his foot. An athletic, aggressive guard who attacks the hoop hard, draws defenders and dishes or finishes/gets to the line/turns ball over. You have to admit that when he's on, he can make a real positive influence on a basketball game from both sides of the ball. Just that it only seems to happen a small percentage of the time he's out there, not nearly enough that he can be counted on. This is what we thought he was becoming in 06. Tease indeed.

It would be nice to see him maintain some level of sustained success at some point, but I just don't see it happening with the C's. At this point it might not happen at all. Oh well, I'll just hope he gets healthy. Again.

greenbeans wrote:This guy is an all-time great tease. So disappointing.

I was on board with him right until the beginning of last year. I said it then and it certainly bore out that he should not have been trusted with Posey's minutes when they had fall back positions of signing Matt Barnes or Flip Murray for cheap money. You just get the feeling that if he finally got back the confidence and talent in that 20 game stretch that he had, his body would give out. This team has given far more faith to Tony Allen, who has proven nothing when it counted, than it ultimately gave Leon Powe. I don't want to see him in the rotation and to me, unless they want to hold onto his expiring contract as a trading chip, I would release him. I'd rather keep Sweetney at this point as the 15th contract.

I would really like to trade him.

Yes it would be nice to get something for him, but for his own sake. Hes just not going to make it here. If he could get healthy and go to a terrible team that would let him play big minutes he might be able to work through his mistakes and become a legit nba rotation player.

He simply makes to much to cut him. I'd say there is about a 1% chance that he comes back to the form he was in for that 20 game stretch a few years back when PP went out. BUT there is a 20-30% chance he could give us a few minutes of solid D on some of the better guards in the league.

The real value he has to us now is in a trade. Without him wecan't match money to make most trades work.

I wish he could stay healthy. A healthy TA is still better than Walker or Giddens until he is proven otherwise.

TA is much better then he is given credit for around here.. He has done things in an NBA game that Giddens or Walker haven't... Everyone wants to sell this guy down the river but truth is if healthy our new guys might have trouble beating him out..

GuyClinch wrote: if healthy

I wouldn't cut Hudson, Giddens, Sweetney or anyone else and keep Tony Allen. He just takes up a roster spot. He is useless.

GuyClinch wrote:TA is much better then he is given credit for around here.. He has done things in an NBA game that Giddens or Walker haven't... Everyone wants to sell this guy down the river but truth is if healthy our new guys might have trouble beating him out..

That's the problem, he's never healthy. I don't think he's had a full healthy year his entire career. I was a huge TA supporter, but no more. I really wish he could stay healthy, but looks like he's never going to be.

return2glory wrote:I wish he could stay healthy. A healthy TA is still better than Walker or Giddens until he is proven otherwise.

If it was a healthy TA of 06/07, right now Id take Giddens over a healthy 08/09 TA

TA SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!