- LARRY KUZNIEWSKI
- Tony Allen has been back on his grind for the Grizzlies this season.
Grizzlies fans should be pleased with what they’ve gotten from Tony Allen so far this season. His breakout season a year ago, at age 29, had all the makings of a classic “fluke rule” season, with regression to the mean likely. But the now-iconic Allen has retained most of what made him an impact player in his first season with the team.
Now established in the starting line-up after a yo-yo of an inaugural Grizzlies campaign, Allen’s minutes have boosted from 20.8 a game last season to 26.3 this season and he’s again been one of the league’s very best perimeter defenders.
After putting up a historic steal rate — 4.14 per 48 minutes — last season, Allen’s come back to earth a little, but his 3.47 per 48 is still best in the NBA among players averaging at least 15 minutes a game. And, again, Allen is the catalyst of a team defense that leads the NBA in both steals and opponent turnovers, with the starting perimeter trio of Allen (sixth), Mike Conley (first), and Rudy Gay (11th) all among the Top 11 in steals per game. Additionally, Allen is fifth among scoring guards in blocks per game, continues to mix shutdown one-on-one defense (memorably “turning the water off” on Houston’s Kevin Martin at FedExForum) with sixth-sense team defense (where he sometimes seems to be guarding no one in particular but is, in fact, guarding the entire other team).
Together, Marc Gasol and Allen have been the inside/outside anchors for a near-elite defense, one whose 10th overall ranking in defensive efficiency might might sell them short given that the team’s first-half schedule was heavy with games against elite offenses — 13 of 34 games against teams in the Top 7 in offensive efficiency. (The Griz will play current Top 7 offenses eight times in their remaining 32 games.)
