Thursday, June 21, 2012

Quick Chat: Lavoy Allen

I was able to recently sit down with Lavoy Allen and discuss this year's Philadelphia 76ers team. A Temple product, Lavoy Allen is very happy to play in a town that helped shape him as a player and a person. In his rookie season he averaged 4 points and 4 rebounds a game playing behind Spencer Hawes. He scored in double figures 3 times in the Eastern Conference Semi Finals against the Boston Celtics. He's a great guy with a sense of humor and his approach to the game is a blue collar one. He works hard, boxes out and plays defense. A coaches dream and best of all he is humble.

Me: Being From Richmond, A10 country I need to ask, what was your favorite memory from your Atlantic 10 days with Temple?

Lavoy: Favorite experience was freshmen year when we played Saint Joes in the championship game. Everyone from Philadelphia was in the building, and it was a great win against our rival school.

Me: Staying in the A10, who was the toughest big man you had to go against?

Lavoy: Justin Harper(Richmond, former all A10 first team) and Ahmad Nivins(St. Joesphs, former A10 player of the year)

Me: What was the toughest transition from college to the NBA?

Lavoy: Getting in better shape, just learning the way NBA players have to work. (laughs a bit) They work really hard. Getting stronger, that's about it.

Me: Working hard is key and you are a blue collar player, what did Doug Collins highlight coming into this season?

Lavoy: Playing good solid defense, and turnovers. He hates turnovers. (smiles) He gets a little mad whenever we turn the ball over.

Me: Is there anything that changes in terms of officiating from the regular season? Anything that gets called more or less, or is it essentially the same?

Lavoy: It's essentially the same. (I do not blame him for the quick answer, it's a touchy subject)

Me: Great series against the Celtics forcing a game 7, earlier you guys said you did stick to your game plan as much as possible, and that game plan was to let Rondo take jumpers, any other thoughts on that?

Lavoy: Yes, the plan was give him space and limit his ability to penetrate. He's not a great jump shooter, but he can knock it down. We have him two jump shots and he made two big jump shots. A three and a long 2, and that was the game plan, but uh they got us.

Me: You are a free agent, but you hope to remain a Sixer?

Lavoy: Yes hopefully I will be here.

Me: Has Doug Collins given you as a team anything specifically to work on this offseason?

Lavoy: As a team, not yet anything in the meetings.

Me: What would you like to work on for your own personal game this offseason.

Lavoy: working on my post game, being a post presence. We really didn't go to the post that much this season, so I;d like to develop a post game so that would be another option for us.

Me: Last question, who has the most swag on the team?

Lavoy: Spencer Hawes by far has the most swag on the team.

picture credit: http://philaphans.com/sixers/files/2012/02/Lavoy_Allen-020212-usp.jpg