Tony Allen has finally made it...

[BudweiserCeltic]

To the front page of the ESPN/NBA:




Nice to see him doing good this year. I would have liked to still have him over here. When has been healthy in the previous years he's been quite useful for us.

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-110308/daily-dime

[Bankshot]

Tony is killing it with his defense.  Durant with 23 point on 20 shots.  

[Chris]

This is Tony's game.  I am surprised it took so long for him to fit in, but I am not surprised at all.  Tony is the type of player who needs to be playing big minutes on a mediocre team to really succeed.  He needs to be allowed to make his mistakes and still be aggressive.   

However, on a team like the C's, he was exposed, because they play such a precise game, and every mistake becomes more important.  He never fit in as a role player, because the role they needed was not within his strengths.  They needed someone steadier, who might not make as many plays, but also didn't make as many mistakes. 

It was a smart move of Chris Wallace to recognize this, and take advantage of getting a guy for cheap, who can put up numbers in a smaller spotlight. 

I still think Tony is just a smaller Gerald Wallace...and yes, that is more a slight on Wallace, who I don't think can be nearly as good on a contender, than a compliment to Tony.

[Fafnir]

Tony is killing it with his defense.  Durant with 23 point on 20 shots.  

Durant hasn't been able to handle Tony the last two times they've played.

I'm stunned by this simply because I'd think Durant would be canny enough to at least get Tony in serious foul trouble. Instead they go small with Tony at SF and run the Thunder a bit....

[BudweiserCeltic]

This is Tony's game.  I am surprised it took so long for him to fit in, but I am not surprised at all.  Tony is the type of player who needs to be playing big minutes on a mediocre team to really succeed.  He needs to be allowed to make his mistakes and still be aggressive.   

However, on a team like the C's, he was exposed, because they play such a precise game, and every mistake becomes more important.  He never fit in as a role player, because the role they needed was not within his strengths.  They needed someone steadier, who might not make as many plays, but also didn't make as many mistakes. 

It was a smart move of Chris Wallace to recognize this, and take advantage of getting a guy for cheap, who can put up numbers in a smaller spotlight. 

I still think Tony is just a smaller Gerald Wallace...and yes, that is more a slight on Wallace, who I don't think can be nearly as good on a contender, than a compliment to Tony.

I thought Tony Allen fit in nicely for us when he finally got healthy. Main problem for him is being constantly misused out of necessity.

For example, this year he would have been awesome for us playing alongside Delonte.

[Bankshot]

This is Tony's game.  I am surprised it took so long for him to fit in, but I am not surprised at all.  Tony is the type of player who needs to be playing big minutes on a mediocre team to really succeed.  He needs to be allowed to make his mistakes and still be aggressive.   

However, on a team like the C's, he was exposed, because they play such a precise game, and every mistake becomes more important.  He never fit in as a role player, because the role they needed was not within his strengths.  They needed someone steadier, who might not make as many plays, but also didn't make as many mistakes. 

It was a smart move of Chris Wallace to recognize this, and take advantage of getting a guy for cheap, who can put up numbers in a smaller spotlight. 

I still think Tony is just a smaller Gerald Wallace...and yes, that is more a slight on Wallace, who I don't think can be nearly as good on a contender, than a compliment to Tony.

That is no longer true.  Tony was very effective for the Celtics last season in limited minutes.  You're talking about the old Tony, not the Tony of now who has matured a lot.

[Fafnir]

This is Tony's game.  I am surprised it took so long for him to fit in, but I am not surprised at all.  Tony is the type of player who needs to be playing big minutes on a mediocre team to really succeed.  He needs to be allowed to make his mistakes and still be aggressive.   

However, on a team like the C's, he was exposed, because they play such a precise game, and every mistake becomes more important.  He never fit in as a role player, because the role they needed was not within his strengths.  They needed someone steadier, who might not make as many plays, but also didn't make as many mistakes. 

It was a smart move of Chris Wallace to recognize this, and take advantage of getting a guy for cheap, who can put up numbers in a smaller spotlight. 

I still think Tony is just a smaller Gerald Wallace...and yes, that is more a slight on Wallace, who I don't think can be nearly as good on a contender, than a compliment to Tony.

That is no longer true.  Tony was very effective for the Celtics last season in limited minutes.  You're talking about the old Tony, not the Tony of now who has matured a lot.

He was effective defensively, but offensively he was still was a huge liability.

He's doing much better in the Grizzlies more iso heavy pel/mel offense.

[CelticG1]

This is Tony's game.  I am surprised it took so long for him to fit in, but I am not surprised at all.  Tony is the type of player who needs to be playing big minutes on a mediocre team to really succeed.  He needs to be allowed to make his mistakes and still be aggressive.   

However, on a team like the C's, he was exposed, because they play such a precise game, and every mistake becomes more important.  He never fit in as a role player, because the role they needed was not within his strengths.  They needed someone steadier, who might not make as many plays, but also didn't make as many mistakes. 

It was a smart move of Chris Wallace to recognize this, and take advantage of getting a guy for cheap, who can put up numbers in a smaller spotlight. 

I still think Tony is just a smaller Gerald Wallace...and yes, that is more a slight on Wallace, who I don't think can be nearly as good on a contender, than a compliment to Tony.

Injuries were also a huge factor. For the type of  game that he plays super agrgessiver defense and offense, being on and off injured defeintiely affected him big time. Last year was the first season in a long time that he was healthy throughout the year. That's one reason why I don't blame Danny for signing him (even though he did take a higher risk with Quis albeit cheaper)

[P2]

Okay. Jeff Green > Tony Allen. Period.

[Change]

The best wing defender in the NBA. There isn't another wing defender in the NBA I'd rather have than Tony Allen. The inconsistency is what dogged Tony with the Celtics. Which is why now the Grizzlies traded for Shane Battier. You can't put all your egg in one basket with Tony. Imagine if you are Kevin Durant or Kobe Bryant in the playoffs having to face Tony+Shane all series. They'll make any star guard squirm.

[Big_Matt34]

What's really helped him is that while his usage rate is close to the highest it's ever been, his turnover rate is the lowest of his career. Yes he is actually taking care of the ball, for his standards atleast.

Also, i think the Grizz are better than mediocre, 36-29 in the west, and are 17-6 in their last 23 games, with wins over the Magic, the on fire Sixers twice, The Thunder twice, the Spurs, and the Mavs. They are gonna scare a team in the first round IMO.

[Bankshot]

Okay. Jeff Green > Tony Allen. Period.

Who said Tony Allen was better than Jeff Green?  No one!

[Chris]

This is Tony's game.  I am surprised it took so long for him to fit in, but I am not surprised at all.  Tony is the type of player who needs to be playing big minutes on a mediocre team to really succeed.  He needs to be allowed to make his mistakes and still be aggressive.   

However, on a team like the C's, he was exposed, because they play such a precise game, and every mistake becomes more important.  He never fit in as a role player, because the role they needed was not within his strengths.  They needed someone steadier, who might not make as many plays, but also didn't make as many mistakes. 

It was a smart move of Chris Wallace to recognize this, and take advantage of getting a guy for cheap, who can put up numbers in a smaller spotlight. 

I still think Tony is just a smaller Gerald Wallace...and yes, that is more a slight on Wallace, who I don't think can be nearly as good on a contender, than a compliment to Tony.

That is no longer true.  Tony was very effective for the Celtics last season in limited minutes.  You're talking about the old Tony, not the Tony of now who has matured a lot.

He was better last year than in the past, but he still was not a completely reliable 6th man. 

[Birdbrain]

I've been watching him the past few weeks and he's been really playing well.  I always root for ex celtics.  I will enjoy him like I will enjoy Perkins from afar and my sanity will be the better for it.

[Chris]

This is Tony's game.  I am surprised it took so long for him to fit in, but I am not surprised at all.  Tony is the type of player who needs to be playing big minutes on a mediocre team to really succeed.  He needs to be allowed to make his mistakes and still be aggressive.   

However, on a team like the C's, he was exposed, because they play such a precise game, and every mistake becomes more important.  He never fit in as a role player, because the role they needed was not within his strengths.  They needed someone steadier, who might not make as many plays, but also didn't make as many mistakes. 

It was a smart move of Chris Wallace to recognize this, and take advantage of getting a guy for cheap, who can put up numbers in a smaller spotlight. 

I still think Tony is just a smaller Gerald Wallace...and yes, that is more a slight on Wallace, who I don't think can be nearly as good on a contender, than a compliment to Tony.

Injuries were also a huge factor. For the type of  game that he plays super agrgessiver defense and offense, being on and off injured defeintiely affected him big time. Last year was the first season in a long time that he was healthy throughout the year. That's one reason why I don't blame Danny for signing him (even though he did take a higher risk with Quis albeit cheaper)

While injuries didn't help, that didn't change the way he played.  He has always been a super aggressive player that doesn't think the game particularly well, can't shoot, and is not a good passer (particularly with simple passes).  That just was not a good fit at all for what the C's needed from him.