Ray Allen has been an ironman for most of his NBA career. The most games he's ever missed in a season during his 16-year NBA career is 27. He's been a durable player, that rarely has battled injury.But he's been dealing with a sore ankle as of late which has caused him to miss 13 games. And with the Celtics only having two regular season games left, Allen's availability for the postseason is starting to come into doubt.
So what's the deal with this ankle? Via CSNNE.com, Allen says it's not just sore -- he has bone spurs.
“The other day when it swelled,” Allen said, “they say they could be the size of a grain of sand but they’re not supposed to be in there so as they swell, they move around and as the swelling goes down, they rest.”
OK, so what are bone spurs? They're small, pointed growths of bone that happen when there's a lot of wear and tear put on something. So basically, a 16-year NBA career.
Allen has already been ruled out for the Celtics Tuesday and is questionable for their regular season finale Thursday. The feeling is that he'll be able to return for Game 1 of their first round series, but if he's still battling soreness, Doc Rivers and the training staff may choose to hold him out until he's fully healthy.
Avery Bradley has been starting in place of Allen, and performing quite well. It's given Rivers the luxury of probably at least considering moving forward without Allen for a time, but you can be sure the Celtics aren't going anywhere without their sharpshooter.
