Ray Allen Makes It Official In Miami

Ray Allen was formally announced as the newest member of the NBA Champion Miami Heat today, and posed with head coach Erik Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley. Or Al Pacino. Nope, pretty sure that's Riley. Or The Most Interesting Man in the World. Photo caption says it's Riles, so it's Riles.

The Heat were the early favorites in Vegas to win the NBA title next year before they knew Allen was going to sign there. Now they're even more deadly.

With Allen and his all-time most three pointers made in NBA history, defenses are going to have to respect him as a threat, obviously. If they don't, well, remember how Mike Miller hit seven threes in the closeout game of the Finals? Ray Ray could do that on a nightly basis.

Sure, he's not the youngest guy around, but Allen comes in knowing his role, which is to sniper threes all night after LeBron and D-Wade break down defenses. Allen is deadly from the arc when people are on him, and even deadlier when they aren't.

The addition of the future Hall-of-Famer also means that Wade and especially LeBron, could get a few more minutes off each game. LBJ nearly played 48 minutes a game in the Finals. He also cramped up so bad he missed the last couple minutes of game four. Another vet they can rely on out on the perimeter means that the other guys can get more breathers.

Allen took considerably less money to go to Miami than to stay in Boston, so that probably tells you something about what's going up there in the Northeast. Allen will get about $9 million for three years. Boston offered $12 million for two years.

The Heat also signed forward Rashard Lewis, another guy who can fill it up from the three point line.