Tony Allen is known for his defense, but the Grizzlies should still value his offensive abilities
Everyone knows Tony Allen can play defense, but are we all underrating his offense? Judging by his individual production, the answer would be a clear-cut no, but Jonah Jordan has looked beyond just the raw numbers over at Grizzly Bear Blues.
Jordan believes Allen actually holds offensive value:
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Jordan is right to a degree. Allen does have some offensive value as a cutter or even as someone who can get out in transition because of his ability to fill the lanes (though he's still a subpar and inconsistent finisher around the rim). But the comeback to this point is that everyone has some offensive value.
Even Reggie Evans, everyone's go-to offensive donkey tail to throw pins into, contributes on that end with his screens and offensive rebounding. No, Evans can't finish or pass and his hands might as well be made of wood, but he gives some value. That's basically the tepid valuation you could give to Allen, though Allen's comes on the perimeter instead of down low.
(h/t Grizzly Bear Blues)
Yes, Allen makes boneheaded mistakes, and yes he cannot shoot to save his life. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have value in the Grizzlies offense. His tremendous basketball IQ has made him one of the best cutters in the NBA. His relentless hustle and determination has made him a force on the boards and he will kill you in transition. Sometimes Allen's offense is offensive, but don't discount his value. It'll come back to bite you.
The place where Allen does the most damage is with his cutting off the ball. This is where Allen's inability to hit a jump shot works in his favor. When a defense packs the paint to make life harder on Marc Gasol or Zach Randolph post-ups they abandon Allen on the perimeter. Sometimes defenses will just be watching one of the post players while Allen sneaks around to find an open seam to the basket. Allen's constant activity can kind of make up for the fact that he can't shoot.MORE NEWS: Want stories delivered to you? Sign up for our NBA newsletters.
