Tony Allen, Let's Be Real

[DinTN]

When Tony plays he gives you production. When he’s only in there for a little you see all his negatives through a magnifying glass.

The only difference from this year is that he’s learned to think the game a little more. TA is less wild with his decision making, he makes the veteran decisions when it comes to the little things. “just lay it in, no need to windmill dunk” “contest late, don’t let your man get you off the ground” “make the easy pass”

I think we’re going to miss TA.

TP


If nothing else, having an athletic defensive stopper somewhere on the bench can only help. Even if we resign for a few more $$ it doesn't hamper us (such as $$ toward MLE). If Daniels takes his minutes this year, we could use TA when someone gets injured, he knows the system & the team, could help defend one of the SuperFriends, shut down someone who's hot, and so on. If nothing else, if MD is playing better, he's a nice option as 10th guy. Still doesn't mean we can't add another wing or trade someone (now or later).

[CoachBo]

Tony was a defensive specialist without a jump shot and with a below average basketball IQ.

He can be replaced, and he won't be heard from again in Memphis.

[Celtics4ever]

Tony' D was awesome but I cringed whenever he touched the ball offensively.

[GreenFaith1819]

I just think that when the dust settles TA will realize how good he had it here.

This is the thing that is most baffling to me - how could the conversation have gone between him and Danny that caused him to leave?

TA - "Danny - I want more PT, maybe even a starting job this year."

Danny - "TA - you are our best perimeter defender, but your offense is not as good as what Ray or Paul brings to the table. If you would've added more offensive consistency to your game, this wouldn't even be a debate."

TA - "Sorry, Danny - I disagree."

Now mind you - My above comments are Pure Speculation, but I cannot fathom why TA would chose to go somewhere other than here - and in MEM they will be fortunate to make the playoffs.

As I've watched TA throughout his years here, he was always a good slasher, and could get to the free throw line. He just established himself - last season - as a lockdown perimeter defender.

But he never, unfortunately, developed a solid outside shot, one that makes defenders stay up on him.

I think that come May 2011, the fact that he chose to leave us will really set on him.

I'll miss the man, and wish him success in MEM, but not against us.

We have Marquis now, and our opponents will have to account for him on the defensive and offensive end. He is a solid Utility player for us.

[wiley]

Tony was a defensive specialist without a jump shot and with a below average basketball IQ.

He can be replaced, and he won't be heard from again in Memphis.

excellent IQ on defense, however...

In fact, his overall bb IQ isn't that bad either imo.  He plays a good IQ game infiltrated by lapses....which is a focus issue exacerbated by poor ball handling skills....

If you want to call focus an IQ issue that's fine I guess.....to me it's another issue.

[bballee]

Tony was a defensive specialist without a jump shot and with a below average basketball IQ.

He can be replaced, and he won't be heard from again in Memphis.

excellent IQ on defense, however...

In fact, his overall bb IQ isn't that bad either imo.  He plays a good IQ game infiltrated by lapses....which is a focus issue exacerbated by poor ball handling skills....

If you want to call focus an IQ issue that's fine I guess.....to me it's another issue.

We'll have to agree to disagree Wiley.  Tony has lots of one-on-one defensive skills but that was often negated by blundering into fouls, losing contact when ball watching, and gambling for steals.  I don't think these are due to loss of focus but rather mistaken values looking for the block rather than the contest, the steal rather than maintaining position, and the flashy play rather than the solid one.  Having said that, this past season was the first time that I thought Tony might actually be "getting it."

[Roy Hobbs]

I'll miss Tony's defense.  His offensive game, not so much.

[wiley]

Tony was a defensive specialist without a jump shot and with a below average basketball IQ.

He can be replaced, and he won't be heard from again in Memphis.

excellent IQ on defense, however...

In fact, his overall bb IQ isn't that bad either imo.  He plays a good IQ game infiltrated by lapses....which is a focus issue exacerbated by poor ball handling skills....

If you want to call focus an IQ issue that's fine I guess.....to me it's another issue.

We'll have to agree to disagree Wiley.  Tony has lots of one-on-one defensive skills but that was often negated by blundering into fouls, losing contact when ball watching, and gambling for steals.  I don't think these are due to loss of focus but rather mistaken values looking for the block rather than the contest, the steal rather than maintaining position, and the flashy play rather than the solid one.  Having said that, this past season was the first time that I thought Tony might actually be "getting it."

Yeah, I may be looking at the recent playoff run above the overall picture.  With the number of steals Tony gets, however, you have to give some credit to some of his gambling.....

[moiso]

I don't blame Tony for seeing if he can become a big minutes guy somewhere.
And I don't think his playing well had anything to do with the expiring contract.  He has always played hard, he's just always been out of sync due to one injury or another.  The only difference I saw last year was that he forced the issue on offense less- the opposite of what most players do in their contract year.

[shiggins]

Everyone is seriously overrating him now that he is gone. If we overpaid for him, the same people would complain that he isn't worth it.

The truth is, he is good at one thing and one thing only. When we drafted him, he had promise. He crashed the offensive boards with reckless abandon. He was an above the rim player with great athleticism and defense. Then the knee injury occurred.

After that, he was never the same player mentally or physically. It took nearly two years for him to trust his knee, and since then he could barely dunk. He can't fly over opposing bigs for put-back slams anymore. He can't drive with the consistency he had back in '06-07. If possible, his jumpshot got worse and significantly uglier.

He is still an excellent defender, and this is where some C's fans get hung up. Yes he could defend well, but he was still prone to really poor decisions on both ends. He could no create anything on offense. At all.

Would you want a sub who holds an opponent to 4 points but generates none of his own? Or a guy who holds his man to 8 points, but creates 8 of his own?

Kinda like he "barely" dunked on Jamison?  Or "barely" dunked on Corey Brewer?

[StartOrien]

Everyone is seriously overrating him now that he is gone. If we overpaid for him, the same people would complain that he isn't worth it.

The truth is, he is good at one thing and one thing only. When we drafted him, he had promise. He crashed the offensive boards with reckless abandon. He was an above the rim player with great athleticism and defense. Then the knee injury occurred.

After that, he was never the same player mentally or physically. It took nearly two years for him to trust his knee, and since then he could barely dunk. He can't fly over opposing bigs for put-back slams anymore. He can't drive with the consistency he had back in '06-07. If possible, his jumpshot got worse and significantly uglier.

He is still an excellent defender, and this is where some C's fans get hung up. Yes he could defend well, but he was still prone to really poor decisions on both ends. He could no create anything on offense. At all.

Would you want a sub who holds an opponent to 4 points but generates none of his own? Or a guy who holds his man to 8 points, but creates 8 of his own?

Kinda like he "barely" dunked on Jamison?  Or "barely" dunked on Corey Brewer?

Or, uh, this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKjzKCPiCWg

EDIT: BTW, this dunk was as crazy as I've ever gone viewing a sporting event.

[MBunge]

Stats for the past regular season.

Tony Allen - 16.5 minutes a game, 6.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.22 turnovers.

Marquis Daniels - 18.4 minutes a game, 5.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, .5 steals, .8 turnovers.

Providing Marquis can stay healthy, which is a big "if" for both him and TA, there's no reason to think he won't be roughly as productive as TA.  Quis' fewer turnovers should help to offset TA's better on ball defense.

The real question is the impact playing alongside Nate will have on Marquis and would've had on TA.

Mike

[hpantazo]

we're talking about the same Tony Allen that goes for every upfake right? The guy who blew a game against the pistons at the garden in 08 when he fouled Billups after going for an upfake on the last play of the game. Afterwards Billups said he saw coming out of the time out that they were putting TA on him so he told his teammates that he would upfake him and draw the foul. That Tony Allen?

[wdleehi]

TA had his best season last year.



But at his best, he is a limited role player that can be replaced. 

[CelticsWhat35]

we're talking about the same Tony Allen that goes for every upfake right? The guy who blew a game against the pistons at the garden in 08 when he fouled Billups after going for an upfake on the last play of the game. Afterwards Billups said he saw coming out of the time out that they were putting TA on him so he told his teammates that he would upfake him and draw the foul. That Tony Allen?

The same Tony Allen that was the team's best wing defender during the playoffs this year.  I'm not going to cry over the loss of Allen, because I know he's very inconsistent and injury-prone, but I'm also not going to deny what he brought to the team.  And bringing up a random game two years ago is a pretty weak way to make an argument.