Grizzlies' Tony Allen remains out with knee injury, no timetable for return

The Grit N' Grind Memphis Grizzlies continue to play without their patriarch, as Grindfather Tony Allen sat out a fourth consecutive game Friday night with a right knee injury.

Allen suffered the injury during pregame warmups last week, and Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger said before Friday's game that there is no timetable for his return, according to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal.

Even when healthy, the 33-year-old Allen has looked like a shadow of the player who helped transform the Grizzlies' identity with his rugged first-team All-Defense bona fides.

In 24 games this season, he's averaged a career-low 5.9 points on career-worst 40.3 percent shooting, and the Grizzlies have actually given up 3.8 more points per 100 possessions when he's been on the floor.

The Grizzlies as a team have fallen off a cliff at the defensive end, dropping from fourth in the NBA last season to 21st this year.