Allen Guts It Out

Despite what must be terrific pain in his left ankle, Ray Allen gutted it out and led the Sonics to a win on Sunday night against Charlotte, the Sonics' fifth straight win at home. In fact, according to numerous reports, Allen has decided to postpone surgery until after the season, barring any change in his level of pain.

And while my initial reaction to this news was, "Why?," after reading about bone spurs, it becomes obvious that having the surgery this summer won't impinge on the Sonics' success in the upcoming season. Recovery time - and this is a general rule - is typically 6 to 8 weeks. Assuming the Sonics don't make it to the Finals (I'm going out on a limb here), Allen could be fully recovered by July, giving him plenty of time to get ready for the season.

And that's probably exactly what Allen and the Sonics were thinking. If the surgery doesn't affect next season, and if Allen can play with the pain, then why not let him play? Ray's comments that the team might - perhaps subconciously - tank the season if he decided to sit out is accurate.

Obviously, how the Sonics play the next couple of months doesn't mean squat for next year (or have you already forgotten the 15-11 run to finish last season, that portended great things?), but there's no harm in giving a message to the rest of the team that their best player doesn't pack it in when things get difficult.

Speaking of packing it in, the Sonics will be visiting a slew of contenders for Greg Oden in the next week or so. But before you start penciling in road victories, bear this in mind: the Knicks have won 2 straight and the Sixers and Celtics are both working on four-game win streaks. In other words, the trip won't be a cakewalk.

Allen's Status Still Up in the Air

Looks as though Friday's CT scan of Ray Allen's ankle didn't give all the answers the doctors had been expecting, so we'll all have to wait until Monday to see if he'll suit up again this season.

According to supersonics.com and Frank Hughes at the TNT, Allen will visit a foot specialist on Monday to determine what if anything should be done to alleviate the pain he's feeling from a bone spur. Also, he'll be a game-time decision for the Sunday game with Charlotte.

Obviously, the prudent thing to do is let Ray have surgery as soon as possible, freeing him up for recovery in time for next season. Still, you have to admire Allen's tenacity in the face of the pain. According to Ray, he's been in pain for most of the season, yet in spite of that he's managed to make the All-Star team, lead the team in points, and basically be the best shooting guard in team history (not to mention his unreal January when he put up 30 points on a regular basis).

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I was totally wrong when I said the Sonics shouldn't sign Allen to a long-term deal. The guy is tougher than he would seem at first blush, and his defensive shortcomings aside, if the Sonics are going to pay somebody $15 mil a year to play shooting guard, I can't think of too many other players I'd rather give it to.

Winnin' Ugly

No other way to describe last night's win other than ugly. With Allen out with bone spurs, the Sonics rode Rashard Lewis to a 2-point home win.

Once again, the bench failed to come through, although it was nice to see Gelabale finally get some minutes (his 13 minutes were more last night than just about any game in the past couple of weeks, and his +7 was the best on the team despite the limited minutes). In fact, you could argue that teaming Gelabale with Watson at the beginning of the 4th quarter was what won the game.

Bizarrely - in this ever-bizarre season - the next five games are all winnable, and I'm including the four-game eastern road swing. Charlotte, New York, Philly, Boston, and Toronto - none of those clubs is scaring anyone this year, with the possible exception of the Raptors, and if you look at it from the perspective that the Sonics' record against the East is better than the Raps' record against the West, well, you might let yourself get a little optimistic.