Doc Rivers told reporters prior to the Celtics' Wednesday night game against the Spurs that Ray Allen will play for the first time in six games, returning from an ankle injury.
So Allen returns in time to try and get him back into game shape and get some rhythm with the team. He'll likely get some rest games in before the playoffs begin alongside the other Big 3 and Rajon Rondo. But there's time now to get him some work in, try and boost the Celtics' seed and give them some breathing room to allow for that rest.
Rivers didn't specifiy if Allen will start or if Avery Bradleywill continue to appear alongside Rondo. As Celtics.com points out, it's not exactly a huge problem for the Celtics either way.
“I think he’ll be great,” Rivers said of Bradley returning to a reserve role. “We’re going to try to sub guys a little differently to keep the combinations the same.”
And therein lies the beauty of this situation. Rivers now has even more options and combinations than he did before, thanks in large part to Bradley’s emergence at the offensive end of the court.
It used to be the case that Allen was the one who could score and spread the floor, while Bradley was the one who could only make an impact with his defense. That’s no longer the case now that Bradley has become one of the best off-the-ball cutters in the league. As Rivers said Tuesday afternoon, Bradley is no longer learning how to slice through defenses. It’s now past tense.
via With Allen and Bradley, C's Have Options | Celtics.com - The official website of the Boston Celtics.
It should also be noted that Bradley has become a stellar defender, allowing 33.7 percent from the field in pick-and-roll situations and 34.7 percent in isolation according to Synergy Sports. So basically the Celtics are in a win-win and that newfound depth is a big reason they're 15-5 in their last 20 and all of a sudden have become "that team you don't want to play in the postseason."