Lavoy Allen joins French team during lockout

By DICK JERARDI, jerardd@phillynews.com
Posted: July 14, 2011

In a perfect world, Lavoy Allen would be playing with a Sixers summer-league team, impressing management so much that it would be preparing to throw a guaranteed contract at its second-round draft choice. This is not a perfect world or anything close to it in the NBA these days.

So, as the league's lockout continues, Allen has done the prudent thing. The Big 5 Player of the Year from Temple signed a contract with Strasbourg in France.

"I got the offer not even a week ago," Allen said last night.

Without the lockout, he would not have been looking anywhere but his hometown.

"If there was no lockout, I would be here waiting for training camp," Allen said.

Instead, he will head to France at the end of August. Allen does have an opt-out clause in his contract with the French team. If the lockout is settled and he can get a deal with the Sixers that he likes, he can come back and play for them this season.

"If the lockout ends by January 30th, I will be able to just pick up my things and leave," Allen said.

Meanwhile, France it is.

"I think it will be a good experience, seeing a different culture, playing in a pretty good league," Allen said.

Temple's all-time leading rebounder certainly is good enough to play professional basketball. He might very well be good enough to play in the NBA. But that chance will have to wait a while.

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