Tony Allen Injury: Updates on Grizzlies Guard's Knee and Return

Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen is recovering from a knee injury that will delay his 2016-17 season debut. 

Continue for updates.

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Allen Out at Least a Week

Wednesday, Oct. 26

According to ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon, "The swelling in [Allen's] knee is gone, but he's working to regain full strength and explosiveness."

This is a difficult blow for Allen, especially since he hasn't played more than 64 games in a season since 2012-13. If he is forced to miss significant time, the Grizzlies will be without one of their best defenders and important pieces in their overall wing rotation.

The shooting guard has never been much of an offensive threat and only has one season with double-digit scoring figures in his career (2006-07 with the Boston Celtics). 

The Grizzlies will still miss Allen because he is a defensive-minded player who fits in perfectly with Memphis’ "Grindhouse" mentality that favors defensive grit and overall effort. In fact, he has been a member of an NBA All-Defensive team five different times in his career, three of which were the first team.

Allen has averaged at least one steal per game during 11 different seasons and set a career high in 2014-15 with two swipes per night for the Grizzlies. He guards the opponent’s best player on a nightly basis and gives Memphis its best chance at shutting down an elite perimeter threat.

The Grizzlies will have a difficult time replicating that defense, but they do have veteran Vince Carter to play more minutes on the wing with both Allen and Chandler Parsons (knee) out. Carter is a solid three-point shooter at this stage of his career, while Parsons is capable of scoring 20 points on any given night when he returns to the lineup.

Memphis also has Troy Daniels and James Ennis for depth purposes.

While the Grizzlies do have the pieces to remain afloat in the Western Conference picture, they could use Allen back and healthy sooner rather than later.