Ray Allen missed the final nine games of the regular season for the Celtics due to a bothersome ankle. This came after missing six games in March and early April due to, well, a bothersome ankle. There seemed to be some worry about whether or not Allen would see the floor again, but Doc Rivers believes that his sharpshooter will be there. (ESPN Boston) “It’s a concern,’’ Rivers said. “I think he’s probable. Isn’t that what they say in football, when there’s a chance more than 50 percent that he’ll play? Let’s put him at probable.” Remember a couple of few years ago when Kevin Garnett injured his knee and the Celtics told everyone that he'd be back in a couple of weeks? He was a couple of weeks away for about three months before Doc revealed that he would be gone for the year. I'm not saying that this is what's happening with Ray Allen. I'm just cautioning you to take this with a grain of salt. The Celtics are going to need Ray Allen at some point in the playoffs. And I'm not talking about the Ray Allen that misses 10 of his 12 shots each game, which is what we've seen on a number of occasions since his arrival in Boston. I'm talking about the Ray Allen that can come in and hit big shot after big shot when the team needs them most. With Avery Bradley now in the starting lineup, bench scoring is at an absolute premium. Mickael Pietrus is as streaky as a dead bug on a windshield after you try to wipe him away with your windshield wipers, but he's lethal when he gets going. Besides that, the bench scoring without Allen would have to come from Keyon Dooling and the rejuvenated Sasha Pavlovic. I don't know about you, but my faith in those two guys going nuts in the playoffs is quite low. Sure, Allen hasn't played in an NBA game in over two weeks. His conditioning will be questionable at best. But he's someone that Atlanta and any other possible opponent will have to keep a body on. UPDATE: Scott Souza of the MetroWest Daily News tweeted out that Allen will not practice today, but will try to practice tomorrow. Souza also reports that Rivers calls Allen "50-50" for Game 1.

read more: Doc Rivers calls Ray Allen "probable" for playoff return