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Tony Allen Reminds Warriors Just Who He Is

By Ben Pickman

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Tony Allen’s box score line from last night wasn’t pretty.

He played 37 minutes, had only nine points, collected only four rebounds, and he dished out two assists. But ask Klay Thompson about Tony Allen’s impact last night and Thompson might ask his brother and Santa Cruz Warriors’ guard Mychal Thompson to play in his place in Game 3.

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Last night, Allen caused fit after fit for Thompson who struggled to get any semblance of a rhythm going. Thompson looked liked a great guitarist who had been stripped of his guitar and his pick, and had his feet and hands tied so he couldn’t even tap out a rhythm. Thompson played 34 minutes and was 1-of-6 from three and had a -16 point differential while on the floor. He finished with 13 points, and much like Allen, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Thompson’s five turnovers was a game high, and a lot of it was because of Allen’s impact.

TNT mic’d up Allen last night and Allen did not disappoint. Listen to this soundbite from last night.

Allen continued screaming, “First Team All-Defense” as he sprinted up to the offensive end of the floor, the part of the floor that unlike most, Allen makes little impact in. In a game featuring the league’s best offense and most prolific backcourt, Allen turned back the clock, showing that the old adage of “offense wins games, but defense wins championships” is still true.

According to ESPN’s stats and info, early in the second half last night, the Warriors were 0-of-7 from the field when Allen was the primary defender. Thompson alone was 0-of-5.

One of the possible reasons for such a drastic improvement in Allen’s play between Game 1 and Game 2 is the addition of Mike Conley, or as Tony Allen calls him – “One-Eyed Charlie.” With Conley back in the lineup, the Warriors did not have to play pick-your-poison with the Warriors’ backcourt. Instead, they were able to know that Conley could guard Stephen Curry and Allen could blanket Klay Thompson.

In Game 1, the Warriors actually had more uncontested shots than contested shots. In Game 2 there was a huge disparity, 52-22 in contested vs. uncontested shots. Memphis challenged everything and disrupted every passing lane imaginable. One of the game sealing plays last night was a Tony Allen steal that was a result of intercepting one of Stephen Curry’s passes.

Golden State can still win the series, and it still wouldn’t be a surprise if they won it in five games. But last night proved that if both Conley and Allen are in the lineup, defeating the Grizzlies won’t be an easy task. They won’t whip the ball around the floor, and shoot open 3’s and be the Splash Brothers that their backcourt moniker implies they are.

And if there is thing to remember from last night, it’s that Tony Allen is FIRST TEAM ALL-DEFENSE.

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