It’s been a tough year for the Boston Celtics. They’re sitting at 7-9 right now and with their aging superstars, there’s been a lot of talk about blowing up the whole team and starting over.
Now they’re dealing with some injury problems as well. Point guard Rajon Rondo has missed the last three games with a sprained wrist, and guard Ray Allen is nursing a jammed ankle. Allen hurt the ankle playing against the Washington Wizards on Sunday when he stepped on Jan Vesely’s foot. Allen was clearly very upset about the way Vesely was playing and wasn’t shy about expressing it after the game.
“It was the way [Vesely] was setting screens. He was stepping out and extending and every time I tried go around it, his foot was in the way so it just seemed like a train wreck waiting to happen,” Allen said. “That’s always a lesson for me when I try to play basketball with guys during the offseason that don’t know how to play and don’t know how to use their bodies. Be careful. A young player like that, I have to be aware when I’m out there on the floor.”
Ouch.
Is it just me or is Ray Allen pretty much saying Jan Vesely doesn’t know how to play basketball? I watched the highlights of the game and saw the injury happen, I have to say I’m going to side with Allen on this one. Rather than move his whole body to set a screen, Vesely just sticks out his leg a little farther and gets called for the offensive foul. Allen is right, that’s how people get hurt.
So until Jan Vesely learns how to “use his body” correctly, anyone coming around a screen set by the rookie needs to be careful. Watch out for the leg.
