It remains to be seen how many three-point baskets record-setting Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen will end up with before he hangs up his sneakers, but the NBA archives will always show one thing:
The first 1,051 of Allen's three-pointers came while he was wearing a Milwaukee Bucks uniform.
Allen was drafted fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1996 but was traded along with a first-round pick to Milwaukee for Stephon Marbury, whom the Bucks had selected fourth overall.
Allen, 36, played six-plus seasons with the Bucks and remains one of the most popular players in franchise history, although it sure didn't start out that way.
"Do you remember what happened on the night of the draft?" said Chris Ford, who was then coach of the Bucks. "We got booed."
In those days, the Bucks invited fans to watch the draft in the Bradley Center bowl and team personnel would discuss the draft on a stage from time to time during the evening. Ford last week recalled the reception he and then-general manager Mike Dunleavy received when they took the stage to discuss the Marbury-Allen deal.
"We drafted Stephon, who never came in for an interview or a workout and then during the draft we made a trade," said Ford, now a Philadelphia 76ers scout. "Then Mike and I went out there on the stage to announce it and we got booed. How about that?
"Marbury was a talent, but he didn't really want to be in Milwaukee. I think (over time) it proved that Dunleavy was correct in making that trade."
Former Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Woodson, who was an assistant here under Ford, said, "It was a great (trade). Any way you slice and dice it."
Allen is the Bucks' all-time leader in three-pointers made, is second (2,587) to Michael Redd (2,602) in threes attempted, and is second (40.6 percent) to Dale Ellis (41.3 percent) in three-point percentage.
"He was a great scorer coming out of college," said Bucks assistant Joe Wolf, who played for the Bucks during Allen's rookie season. "He loved the game and being on the court. He didn't know how to talk that much trash at that point, but he got better at it as the season progressed. He was really able to learn a lot because Vin Baker and Big Dog (Glenn Robinson ) were the two big guns so he got to develop early without a lot of pressure on him.
"(His shot) got more pure as he gained more confidence at this level. Once he understood that his athleticism could give him space for his shot, he knew that he was going to be able to get his shot off. That's when he became very dangerous."
There was some doubt in those days, however, if Allen would be able to withstand the rigors of the NBA because of the way he shot the ball and because of the physical welcome he received in the league.
"A lot of people questioned if a kid could last long shooting jump shots because he elevates when he shoots his jumper," said Woodson. "When your legs start to go, your jump shot goes. But he's unique because he's one of the best-conditioned athletes that I've ever coached. It's not even close."
Said Ford, "Also, as a rookie, he kept getting his butt knocked to the floor with no whistle."
Allen made his first career three-pointer on Nov. 1, 1996, in the first quarter of the Bucks' season-opening 111-103 victory over the 76ers at the CoreStates Center in Philadelphia to give the Bucks an 8-4 lead with 9 minutes 11 seconds left. Allen scored his first NBA points 27 seconds earlier when he took a pass from Sherman Douglas and sank a 14-foot jumper. Allen sank one other three in that game, late in the fourth quarter, and finished with 13 points.
The rest, as they say, is history.
"Ray has the total package," said Ford. "That's what really sets him apart. His field-goal accuracy and his free-throw shooting are up there at the very top, and that's from the work ethic that he's put into it. For all young players, on all levels, (he's an example of) how to use the screen, come off picks, catch and shoot. In the earlier days, I thought that Dell Curry had the quickest release, but Ray has surpassed that.
"It's amazing how he gets his body turned and releases that shot so quickly. He's almost un-guardable. It's a quick release and it's effortless. It's picture-perfect. You dream about having that kind of shot."
Roy's feeling good
Now that Brandon Roy is returning to health after undergoing knee surgery last month, the Trail Blazers are figuring out how to work him back into the rotation. He'll come in off the bench at first as coach Nate McMillan plans to slowly work him back and increase his minutes gradually. Things have changed a bit since Roy has been out as LaMarcus Aldridge has taken over as the team's main man and there have been changes in some offensive sets. Roy will need to adjust, according to McMillan. Roy was pleased just to return to practice last week.
"I was just excited waking up," he said of his first day of practice. "I was happy to know I was going to get involved."
A King-size issue
The Kings have had to monitor emotional outbursts from DeMarcus Cousins all season, and the rookie last week finally got thrown out of his first game after getting two technicals in the fourth quarter of a loss to Dallas. He got his first technical after running away from a referee who incorrectly awarded the ball out of bounds to Dallas. The call was reversed, but Cousins got a technical anyway. Later, Cousins and Dallas center Tyson Chandler received a double-technical after Cousins was elbowed in the nose. Coach Paul Westphal said it was the first technical that proved costly.
"The remedy for that is don't get the first technical and leave the officials alone, which is a very important lesson that DeMarcus needs to keep learning," said Westphal. "It's hard for him because he's so passionate, but it's a dead-end trail."
Sensitive situation
In Miami, they're trying not to make a big deal out of Dwyane Wade 's inconsistent free-throw shooting. Wade is shooting a career-low 73 percent from the line this season, down from the 77 percent he was shooting coming into this season, and coach Erik Spoelstra claims to be unconcerned. Even so, there are times when Spoelstra has used Wade as an inbounder to lessen the chances that Wade will be sent to the line. Spoelstra says using Wade to inbound has a "calming influence" on the team in late-game situations.
"When it counts, he's proven already that he'll make (free throws)," said Spoelstra.
Back up the bus
When in Boston last week, Lakers coach Phil Jackson informed reporters that he is not a big fan of the TD Garden, especially considering that narrow ramp that bus drivers have to navigate onto to drop the team off at the arena.
"This is like an engineering mistake with that ramp you have to take up to get in here," Jackson said. "You wonder, what is that all about? In Madison Square Garden, you take an elevator. But to back up a ramp in a bus in a cold and smelly climate, I just don't understand that."
A couple of shutouts
The Mavericks won 12 games in a row early in the season and had a 10-game winning streak snapped last week by Denver, marking only the second time in team history (2006-'07 when they finished 67-15) they have had multiple double-figure winning streaks in the same season. But Dallas also has lost six straight this season, making it the first team since the 1992-'93 Rockets to have multiple double-digit winning streaks and a losing streak of at least six games in the same season.
"When you're going bad, you're never as far from going good as you might think," said Dallas coach Rick Carlisle . "And when you win 10 in a row, it's just as fragile."
Fast breaks
Wade on teammate Chris Bosh making the all-star team: "Name me a lot of guys who are better than him at that position and I'll tell you you're a liar."
Miami forward Udonis Haslem, out with a foot injury, had a protective boot removed last week but is not expected back until late March at the earliest.
Charlotte's Eduardo Najera after getting elbowed in the face by Kevin Garnett : "I told him he hits like my grandma."
Charlotte coach Paul Silas says technical foul-prone Stephen Jackson "kind of loses it sometimes" when he goes off on the referees.
The Bulls, Celtics, Spurs and Thunder are the only teams that have yet to lose three straight.
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DOWN THE LANE
The Heat and Celtics, who continue to joust for the best record in the East, will square off Sunday afternoon in Boston. The Celtics are 2-0 against Miami, but both of those victories came in the first three weeks of the season when the Heat was struggling. "You cannot help but look at the big picture," said Miami's LeBron James. "That game (Sunday) could mean a lot." The Lakers and Spurs will finish long trips before the all-star break. San Antonio closes its nine-game rodeo trip at New Jersey on Monday and Chicago on Thursday. The Lakers will play the last of seven straight on the road at Orlando, Charlotte and Cleveland. Atlanta will play its final seven games of the month on the road, including this week at Detroit and New York. Philadelphia, which has been playing well and has taken over the seventh spot in the East, will travel to Memphis and Houston.
In Sunday's Futility Bowl, it'll be Washington, a team that can't win on the road, traveling to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers, who have great difficulty winning anywhere.
The Bucks might be able to take advantage of a couple of road-weary opponents and finish on a high note before the all-star break. On Monday at the Bradley Center, Blake Griffin and the Clippers will play the seventh of 11 straight road games, while Denver will be in town Wednesday to wrap up a three-games-in-four-nights trip. The Bucks lost to both teams on the road this season.
"I'm pretty simple when it comes to that. I think that's one of the most over rated and overblown things there is. Everybody has the same role . . . 'Show up, play hard as hell, do your job.' That's your role."
Bucks coach Scott Skiles on players having to adjust to different roles in a team's rotation.
Orlando center Dwight Howard said last week that he was "annoyed" by reports that speculated he would opt out of his contract and leave the Magic in the summer of 2012. He took out his frustrations in victories over the Clippers and 76ers as he finished with 22 points and 20 rebounds against Los Angeles for his fifth 20-20 game of the season and had 30 points and 17 rebounds against Philadelphia. He was uncharacteristically accurate at the foul line against Philadelphia, making 14 of 19. "I just tried to do a better job at the free-throw line and just really concentrate and focus," said Howard. Coach Stan Van Gundy added, "I will maintain until the day they put me in my grave, which I hope is not coming too soon, that he's very capable of being a 70 percent-plus free-throw shooter." As for his future, Howard said he was "focused on this season, this moment right here."
Oklahoma City's defensive field-goal percentage in the first half of games is a league-worst 53 percent, while in the second half it is 43 perent, the third best in the league.
After 52 games, Portland was 18-11 without Brandon Roy and 10-13 with him.
The Celtics are 2-7 in the second game of a back-to-back on the road.
Baron Davis' 16 assists in the Clippers' victory at New York were the most for a Clippers' player in a road game since Gary Grant had 16 at Phoenix in 1992.
San Antonio's Tim Duncan has blocked at least five shots in a game four times this season compared with once all of last season.
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