WALTHAMWhen Ray Allen decided to join the Miami Heat, Jason Terry knew the comparisons between him and Allen would be made - a lot.
Both have been among the NBA's better 3-point shooters for years. Both have played integral roles in helping a team (Allen in Boston, Terry in Dallas) win an NBA title.
But as Terry pointed out during the Boston Celtics' Media day on Friday, similarities between the two are fewer and farther between than most would believe.
"We're two different players," Terry said. "Hopefully I'll bring something that Ray didn't, and some of the things that he did. Ray obviously was a great player for this franchise for years, brought them a championship in '08 but our games are totally different."
Although both rank among the NBA's all-time leaders in 3-pointers made (Allen is No. 1 while Terry ranks No. 4), Terry looks to score off the dribble more in addition to being able to play some point guard while Allen is a pure shooting guard with so-so ball-handling skills.
If you look at their most recent shooting numbers more closely, it's clear that Allen relied more on his 3-point shooting prowess than Terry. During the 2011-2012 season, 47.5 percent of the shots taken by Allen were 3-pointers compared to Terry whose 3-point shooting constituted 44 percent of the shots he took for Dallas last season.
And then there's the size difference, something Terry has no choice but to concede.
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"He's 6-5 or whatever, I'm 6-2," Terry said. "But I am the Jet and I like to fly. We'll see what happens. A lot of those comparisons will be thrown out there. But we're two totally different players."
And two totally different mindsets towards their roles with the Celtics.
After spending his first four-plus seasons in Boston as a starter, C's coach Doc Rivers decided to have Allen come off the bench and instead start Avery Bradley who provided a better defensive presence with the first group.
Being a backup was a role that Allen did not embrace wholeheartedly at first, and never fully adjusted to the idea or embrace the change.
Meanwhile, Terry has spent the bulk of his career as a reserve and he loves it.
"I'll be thrust into the sixth man role and hey, I'm one of the best," said Terry who was named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 2009. "It is what it is. I take pride in that. It's something that every team needs; that energy, that spark off the bench. That's what I'm here to do."
The year that Terry won the award, he averaged 19.6 points per game. Only three players in NBA history have won the award with a higher scoring average. Among them was former Celtic Kevin McHale who averaged 19.8 points in 1985.
A career 16.1 points per game scorer, Terry doesn't take for granted how important his role will be to the Celtics this season.
"I don't want to let these guys down," Terry said. "KG has already talked to me about what it means for him to win another championship. Rondo tells me everyday what it means to win another one. And Paul Pierce, he's looking great. They know. They're champions. Now as me as a veteran player, it's to help these young guys, guys we'll need off the bench, be a leader for them and help them understand what it's going to mean to win a championship."
And as he has done since arriving in Boston, Terry reiterates that his focus remains squarely on winning another championship.
"When you join a team and a franchise like this one here in Boston, there is no other goal," Terry said. "The goal is to win a championship, and I believe we have the talent, we have the coaching staff, we have the fans to get the job done. We believe it. We believe it to a man, that we will win (a championship)."