Making the Case for Tony Allen's Defensive Player of the Year Candidacy
More than ever, Tony Allen stands as the Memphis Grizzlies' greatest shield—but he still lags in Defensive Player of the Year consideration.
The 6'4", 213-pound shooting guard is the difference between a genuine grind and an uncharacteristic surrender by Memphis.
Partly, this is due to backcourt players often being forgotten in the Defensive Player of the Year race. In the past 26 seasons, only three perimeter players won the award. In his midseason rankings for the honor, Bleacher Report's Alec Nathan listed Allen as the only backcourt figure among seven candidates.
The idea of the 6'7", 215-pound Draymond Green as a wing man is hazy. Green, who is the essence of positional fluidity, is listed as a small forward, but he splits his time between the 3 and 4 spots. He gets 53 percent of possessions as the man in the middle and 47 percent at power forward.
Since then, Kawhi Leonard has emerged as another possibility to break the string of 10 consecutive frontcourt winners.
Overcoming smaller playing time
Another issue for Allen is his modest minute load. He averages 26.2 minutes per game and came off the bench in 22 of his 63 games while Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger tested Jeff Green's ability with the starting lineup.
Writing for Basketball Insiders, Ben Dowsett used this to cut Allen from leading candidates, saying, "It's tough for any wing to crack the top five, and the one who does here [Draymond Green] plays more minutes with a similar impact on an even better defense."
If only those with hefty court time were recognized, then Dowsett wouldn't have entered Andrew Bogut, who sees 23.7 minutes per game, at No. 3.
Allen brushes off this concern by ranking third in the NBA with two steals per game despite getting fewer minutes.
Sheridan Hoops' Maxwell Ogden tweeted that his high ranking is special.
Also, Allen's ninth-place spot in steals with 129 is remarkable, considering that he's seen 603 fewer minutes than eighth-place Nerlens Noel.
When Joerger reinserted the Grizzlies' three-time All-Defensive Team member in the lineup on March 20, the team received an immediate boost. That day, the Grizzlies held the Dallas Mavericks to 102.1 points per 100 possessions in a 112-101 win and Allen helped limit Monta Ellis to 12 points on 3-of-9 shooting.
The next night, Allen grabbed six steals in 35 minutes as the Grizzlies routed the Portland Trail Blazers 97-86.
Memphis' reliance on its defensive leader
Defensively, The Grindfather makes the lineup work. The Grizzlies attack harder, getting 1.9 more steals per 100 possessions than opponents with the group of Allen, Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Courtney Lee on the court.
"I know those guys' tendencies," Allen told The Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery when discussing his chemistry with the starters.
The gap between Allen and other Grizzlies defenders is larger than those amid other candidates and their teammates, as seen with their on-off differentials.
| Player | On-court | Off-court | Differential | Top teammate |
| Tony Allen | 97.5 | 106.5 | -9.0 | -1.5 |
| 99.4 | 105.2 | -5.8 | -0.3 | |
| Rudy Gobert | 101.2 | 110.0 | -8.8 | -7.3 |
| Tim Duncan | 102.2 | 102.5 | -0.3 | -5.8 |
| Draymond Green | 97.7 | 105.2 | -7.5 | -5.8 |
| Nerlens Noel | 102.6 | 107.1 | -4.5 | -3.7 |
| DeAndre Jordan | 106.4 | 104.5 | +1.9 | -3.3 |
Allen, Jordan, Leonard and Draymond Green play with outstanding defenders. But the difference between what happens with Allen present is greater than other contenders.
Allen changes how opponents operate in a way his fellow starters can't. He cuts off passing lanes and wears down ball-handlers. As The Commercial Appeal's Peter Edmiston pointed out, he deflects passes at an outrageous rate.
Leonard and Duncan function as part of a strong defensive unit that has lived up to its potential only after Leonard became healthy.
As San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich told USA Today's Sam Amick, Duncan "carried" the Spurs in the first half of the season.
Leonard struggled earlier this year with an eye injury and hit his high gear after he returned Jan. 16.
Draymond Green is a defensive game-changer inside and out, but Bogut neutralizes opponents near the rim. Also, Stephen Curry has turned the corner defensively this season.
Noel and Jordan protect the paint tremendously, but Noel's efforts on that end don't win games for the Philadelphia 76ers and Jordan doesn't make the Los Angeles Clippers succeed defensively.
The Grizzlies' 33-year-old defensive specialist has missed the past four games due to a left hamstring sprain suffered in a 107-84 loss to the Golden State Warriors on March 27. Memphis' struggle to cope with his absence was noticeable. In a sloppy 92-83 loss to the Washington Wizards on Saturday, John Wall easily threaded the ball through passing lanes en route to 14 assists.
The Grizzlies are 4-8 without him this season and allowed more than 105 per 100 in eight of those games.
The Spurs went 8-9 as Leonard missed 17 of 19 games between Dec. 10 and Jan. 14. They allowed 106.6 points per 100 during that time. Since his return, they've given up just 101.7.
Versatility
Allen comes close to other Defensive Player of the Year contenders in versatility, even though his height might suggest he wouldn't perform as well against bigger men at the 3 or 4 spot.
As mentioned above, Draymond Green splits time between the forward positions. He defends bigs admirably, but it isn't surprising considering his bulk.
ESPN.com's Ethan Sherwood Strauss discussed how Green defended Jordan in the Warriors' 106-98 win against the Clippers on March 8, preventing Jordan from getting to the rim and keeping lob passes away.
But that's unnecessary for Allen, who mans entry lanes on the perimeter to keep opponents from throwing it inside.
Leonard can patrol the paint, but, like Allen, doesn't often need to work that area, partly due to personnel.
The aggressor vs. the anticipatory defender
Not much separates the results Leonard and Allen attain. Leonard's 96.6 points allowed per 100 lead Allen by 1.8, and his 2.3 steals per game are 0.3 ahead of Allen. Allen's 3.6 defensive box plus/minus is 0.2 more than Leonard.
Their styles diverge. Leonard sits back, allowing ball-handlers separation, before forcing turnovers. In the third quarter of the Spurs' 107-92 win against the Warriors on Sunday, Leonard backpedaled as Klay Thompson dribbled up the court before poking the ball away and running away in transition.
Grantland's Kirk Goldsberry said, "Leonard's steals, unlike many of his peers', are hardly ever the result of defensive gambling."
Allen applies intense pressure and isn't afraid of riding a bigger opponent like Kevin Durant or LeBron James on a drive. He fights through screens.
Gasol told Complex's Justin Sherman of Allen's "determination not to get screened."
Leonard is as capable as Allen in covering passing lanes.
The difference in style gains Allen an edge in stopping outside shooters. According to NBA.com, Allen allows opponents to hit 37 percent from the field, including 30.5 percent from three-point range. Leonard gives up 43.6 percent from the field, per NBA.com, and a pedestrian 37.9 percent from downtown.
While San Antonio has the No. 2 defense, it's 25th in three-point field-goal percentage allowed. Its small forward doesn't help that.
Meanwhile, Allen helps pull the Grizzlies to 17th in the category with his pressure.
Conclusion
The five most serious Defensive Player of the Year candidates come from the top three defenses, the Warriors, Spurs and Grizzlies. More than the top two, the Grizzlies owe their third-place ranking to a single player.
Allen not only sets the tone for a coordinated attack, but he changes how opponents can attack. He takes away space in which ball-handlers can work and denies passing opportunities.
The Grizzlies experienced stark differences in their proudest area between the lineup with Allen and that with Jeff Green. No other elite defender makes a bigger difference in his team's success. Leonard and Draymond Green receive great support from teammates who rank among the top five in defensive rating.
Indeed, both the Spurs and Grizzlies have experienced lapses without Leonard and Allen, respectively.
Allen's aggression lends him an upper hand in defending perimeter shooters
Statistics are current through April 5 games. Unless otherwise noted, advanced metrics come from Basketball-Reference.com.
Tom Firme is a Memphis Grizzlies featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @TFirme.
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