Tony Allen hopes to be remembered as all-time great defender: 'I want to be elite'
In between defensive possessions spent blowing up Golden State Warriors sets and turning Klay Thompson's world into a personal hellscape on Tuesday night, Memphis Grizzlies swingman Tony Allen spouted a defiantly self-promotional refrain:
Indeed, in each of the last two full seasons he's played, Allen has been named an All-Defensive First Teamer. And despite missing a third of last season to injury, Allen took his exclusion from the ranks of the NBA's defensive elite as a slight.
"By me missing all those games, I thought the writers kind of overlooked me," Allen told ESPN's Michael Wallace in an interview published Saturday. "I thought I was playing at a high level, but I got snubbed and I speak that loudly. And that was my whole focus coming into this year."
There's certainly a chance Allen gets snubbed again this season - he sat out 19 contests, due largely to a lingering hamstring issue - but his defensive impact in the 63 games he appeared in ought to render the time missed irrelevant. The Grizzlies gave up 8.3 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. They were 46-17 in games he played in, and 9-10 in those he didn't.
If that wasn't enough, he proved in Game 2's massive road win over the heavily favored Warriors that he's wholly deserving of the game's highest defensive accolades.
Allen hounded Thompson - who came in averaging nearly 24 points per game and shooting 47 percent from distance - into a 6-of-15 night (including 1-of-6 from 3-point range), with five turnovers and zero trips to the free-throw line. Thompson was a game-worst minus-16 in his 34 minutes on court. Allen was a plus-14.
"First Team. All-Defense."
Allen is that rare fringe star who dreams not of winning scoring titles or hitting game-winners, but of preventing opponents from accomplishing as much.
"When they talk about the Bruce Bowens, Dennis Rodmans and Michael Coopers, I want them to remember my name, too," Allen said. "I'm not just playing this game to be average. I want to be elite. I think I am, and I've proven it this year. It's all right to be acknowledged; nothing wrong with that."
Over 11 seasons in the NBA, Allen has nailed down and perfected his formula, and in Memphis, he's found a culture and group of teammates perfectly suited to his attitude and unique talents.
"Do your work early, compete from tipoff," Allen advises other aspiring defensive greats. "Be physical, play without fouling, make every shot tough, and don't get discouraged. If you've got teammates willing to help, you've got the recipe."