Grizzlies' Tony Allen out Indefinitely with Calf Injury

Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen is out indefinitely after suffering a calf strain, the team announced Thursday. 

He only played five minutes Wednesday in the season finale before coming out. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Allen will rehab his calf "as intensely as possible" but the recovery timetable is a month. 

"It's an unfortunate injury for Tony and the team," general manager Chris Wallace said, per Michael Wallace of the team's official site. "With treatment and recovery, we hope to get him back as soon as possible."

An extended absence could be devastating because even at 35 years old, Allen is playing as big of a role with the Grizzlies as ever.

The 13-year NBA veteran is known for his defensive prowess—he has been named to the league's All-Defensive team five times—but he is still making contributions on the offensive end. He finished the year averaging 9.1 points per game, right in line with or better than most of his career.

His age also hasn't slowed him down as he averaged 27 minutes per game, which is the highest of his career.

After missing time earlier in the season, he also has been able to stay on the court more than usual, a positive for someone who has reached 70 games just four times in his first 12 seasons.

It's clear his all-around contributions make him a valuable addition to the team whether he is scoring or not.

This makes his absence a noticeable one, even with decent depth on the roster. Mike Conley will remain the go-to option in the backcourt, while the Grizzlies also have Vince Carter, James Ennis, Troy Daniels and Andrew Harrison to rotate around the perimeter.

Even with these options, Memphis will hope its veteran leader will be able to return to the court for the upcoming series against the San Antonio Spurs.