Tony Allen is 100 percent tough

[xmuscularghandix]

Grizzlies > Thunder

Memphis was 3-1 in the season series.

[ballin]

Grizzlies > Thunder

Memphis was 3-1 in the season series.

I hope you're wrong. I want a team that can actually beat the Lakers to win

[P2]

Grizzlies > Thunder

Memphis was 3-1 in the season series.

I hope you're wrong. I want a team that can actually beat the Lakers to win

Yup, same here. But I think the Grizzlies could give the Lakers troubles, too, because they have two legit big man in Randolph and Gasol, and they're slightly better than Perkins & Ibaka. Those are the type of teams that give the Lakers troubles, teams with legit bigs. But then again, Memphis doesn't have players like Westbrook & Durant.

[Drucci]

I really think that Memphis is going to beat OKC. The biggest advantages OKC has are Westbrook/Durant and HCA (i.e biased officiating in their favor). To me it comes down to whether OKC can stop/limit Gasol/Randolph and whether Memphis can stop/limit Durant/Westbrook. We all know Perk struggles against mobile centers like Gasol so he will have a hard time and I just don't see Ibaka defending Zach well enough while Battier and TA can shut down or considerably slow down Durant and Russell.

Memphis in 6!

[LeoMoreno]

Tony's offense improved greatly, his D is better (if not the same with the only change being a lot more time to poke balls away) than last year. He never would've been that in Boston.
I think he ingeniously thought this through, maybe with Doc and Danny even. Get out of Boston, you won't get much play time here, you got an amazing talent, go develop it on a smaller team and see what first class team trades 10 players to get you the year after.

However, as he said: "I'm a Celtic, just wearing different colours right now." Really sounds like both sides know he'll be back.

[Who]

Grizzlies > Thunder

Memphis was 3-1 in the season series.

How many of those matchups came when Oklahoma was starting Jeff Green + Nenad Krstic? Versus Ibaka and Perk? Major difference for a team with as a strong a big man duo as Z-Bo and M.Gasol.

I didn't watch any of the Grizzlies vs Thunder games this season. I meant to watch the final meeting between them in the regular season but I was short of time ... and figured there was no way they'd ever meet in the playoffs so might as will leave it until next year. Oh well.

[Thruthelookingglass]

Thanks for posting.  I'm pleased for Allen.  He would not have had the opportunity to become a hero in Boston.  Sounds like he's another "Celtics alumni" we can take some pride in.  While I've always rooted for Allen and knew he had potential (he was the lone bright spot in our record 18-game losing streak), last year was the first time I started feeling some actual relief at seeing TA enter a game.  Sure, you still hold your breath, but he was a reliable defensive presence and fast enough to give the other teams fits sometimes.  Congrats to TA on becoming the soul of a team instead of a too often maligned afterthought.

I'm not sure if this has been posted anywhere but this is great article about Tony Allen of all in places in The Wall Street Journal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730104576260961451316074.html

[Who]

Tony's offense improved greatly, his D is better (if not the same with the only change being a lot more time to poke balls away) than last year. He never would've been that in Boston.

I don't think it was actual improvement (offensively). Just the benefit of playing longer and more consistent minutes. To be able to play through his mistakes. Made Tony more consistent.

[scaryjerry]

tonys been really really good for the grizz as he was for us in last years playoffs... happy for him

[JBcat]

Thanks for posting.  I'm pleased for Allen.  He would not have had the opportunity to become a hero in Boston.  Sounds like he's another "Celtics alumni" we can take some pride in.  While I've always rooted for Allen and knew he had potential (he was the lone bright spot in our record 18-game losing streak), last year was the first time I started feeling some actual relief at seeing TA enter a game.  Sure, you still hold your breath, but he was a reliable defensive presence and fast enough to give the other teams fits sometimes.  Congrats to TA on becoming the soul of a team instead of a too often maligned afterthought.

I'm not sure if this has been posted anywhere but this is great article about Tony Allen of all in places in The Wall Street Journal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730104576260961451316074.html

You're welcome.  I wonder though if Rudy Gay didn't get hurt if he would have had the chance to make as big an impact as he has the second half of the season. 

[hardlyyardley]

Watched the last quarter.....interesting game....seeing TA play unbelievable defense, then revert back to himself with two consecutive oblivious 24 seconds clock violations

Zach Randolph was UNBELIEVABLE!!!...player of the series...

Hopefully seeing an aging, tired ex-champion team fade was not a preview of coming events

[Who]

Grizzlies > Thunder

Memphis was 3-1 in the season series.

How many of those matchups came when Oklahoma was starting Jeff Green + Nenad Krstic? Versus Ibaka and Perk? Major difference for a team with as a strong a big man duo as Z-Bo and M.Gasol.

Three of those games were played prior to the trade with Green and Krstic starting.

The fourth happened while Perk was out injured. Nazr Mohammed was the starter. A weak defender. Not a good comparison. So the Grizzlies haven't really played against the Thunder's current lineup yet.

Zach Randolph was up around 30ppg in those three games against Jeff Green and went down to 17 against Ibaka (albeit a very efficient 17 and they were a +19 with him on the court).

Rudy Gay played in the first two matchups. Not either of the next two. Grizzlies had their current starting lineup in the final two games but only had Battier for the final contest.

The season series doesn't seem to mean much here. Too much roster fluctuation.

[ACF]

Watched the last quarter.....interesting game....seeing TA play unbelievable defense, then revert back to himself with two consecutive oblivious 24 seconds clock violations

Zach Randolph was UNBELIEVABLE!!!...player of the series...

Hopefully seeing an aging, tired ex-champion team fade was not a preview of coming events

Hardly, Yardley 

[manbehindtheman]

Watched the last quarter.....interesting game....seeing TA play unbelievable defense, then revert back to himself with two consecutive oblivious 24 seconds clock violations

Zach Randolph was UNBELIEVABLE!!!...player of the series...

Hopefully seeing an aging, tired ex-champion team fade was not a preview of coming events

Randolph was making everything he threw up there at the end, really a great clutch game for him.  If I were his next opponent I'd let him keep shooting those shots with a tall guy in his face, I don't think he can keep going like that.  If he can play like that, they have a chance against the Thunder

[kn 99]

Grizzlies > Thunder

Memphis was 3-1 in the season series.

I hope you're wrong. I want a team that can actually beat the Lakers to win

      I think the grizzlies have a good chance at beating the lakers if they get there. They can match the lakers height with gasol and randolph. they are also well prepared to gaurd kobe bryant because they have two shutdown defenders in Tony Allen and Battier.