National Basketball Association

Tony Allen: Memphis Grizzlies Player Preview

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Known as one of the best perimeter defenders in the game, can Tony Allen continue to be one of the best while evolving his offensive game as his age grows?

The Memphis Grizzlies’ backcourt has gotten younger with rookie Wade Baldwin IV and free agent additions like Troy Daniels and Tony Wroten. Plus with more development from Jordan Adams and Andrew Harrison, Grizzlies fans are starting to get more excited about the future. If Tony Allen continues to play his type of game, those guards may have to wait another year to get minutes.

Tony Allen as a Grizzly

In 2010, Tony Allen left the Celtics to join the Grizzlies on a three year deal. He left while commenting that he felt overshadowed by some of the bigger names on the team. In those first three years he started 167 out of 209 games and became one of the premier defenders in the league. He currently leads the league in steal percentage among active players at 3.4 percent and also has been an All-Defensive team performer for the past five years. This led to a $20 million deal that will be expiring at the end of this season.

More from Beale Street Bears

In his six years with the Grizzlies he has found a consistent role as a fringe starter and contributor. Averaging around 25 minutes per game in his seasons with the Grizzlies and starting over half of those games, he hasn’t grown much from being a lock down defender. He has averaged between 8.4 and 9.8 points per game during his time with Memphis. His rebounding or assists haven’t improved all that much either. What he lacks in improvement he makes up for consistency. Allen will always be a hard-nosed defender.

A harder look into his numbers show that he actually provides more for his team than meets the eye. Allen ranks fourth in rebounding rate among shooting guards, second in steals per 48 minutes in the league, fifth in steals per turnover, and only one shooting guard with a higher estimated wins added had more minutes per game. Now those stats may be picked from a pile, but they still show his value. Tony has guarded positions ranging from point guards to post players. He has versatility to play shooting guard or small forward for the Grizzlies as well. He may not have any meaningful offensive stats, but he makes up for it by getting at the boards and getting turnovers without giving up more on the offensive end, making him the epitome of the ‘Grit ‘n’ Grind’ mentality.

Best/Worst/Actual Scenarios

Best-Case Scenario

The best scenario is that Allen produces the same on all ends of the floor. If he can lock down guys such as Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson , Russel Westbrook, or Chris Paul for example, he’ll be providing a unique contribution to the team. The one thing he that could keep improving is his 3P%. Two years ago he shot an abysmal 23 percent, but has improved it to 35 percent in 2015 on 42 attempts. If he can shoot 35 percent again with meaningful attempts, he may help the team more on the offensive end. By being able to set up in the perimeter, he can save energy for chasing the opposing team’s best players while also opening up the lane for Conley, Gasol, and Randolph. For the longest time, shooting has always been an issue for the Grizzlies. Part of the reason has been playing Tony Allen meaningful minutes, but if he can start to shoot, their lineups will become more complete.

Mar 9, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen (9) drives the ball against Boston Celtics guard Evan Turner (11) in the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Worst-Case Scenario

Not only does Tony go back to his poor shooting, but he can’t keep up on defense. At worst he will still be a solid defender, but an average defensive game isn’t good enough to make up for his poor defense. If this happens, you will see guys like Wade Baldwin and Jordan Adams getting more and more minutes.

Actual Scenario

Allen will probably end up improving or keeping his 3P% around his previous 35 percent. He will also probably end up either slightly declining on defense or getting less minutes so he doesn’t fall off on defense with his growing age. The past Grizzlies drafts have proved that they have prepared for Tony Allen’s potential decline. Expect about 20 minutes per game from Tony Allen and his averages to fall a little. He can earn time in the crunch time lineup if he develops his 3P% even more. Expect Allen to be himself this year and disrupting other forwards and guards on opposing teams while creating exciting plays in the process.

This article originally appeared on