Tony Allen Signs with Grizzlies

Following up on a report Luke made earlier today, the Grizzlies have signed Boston guard Tony Allen to a 3-year/$10 million contract. The report comes from Yahoo.com and the Commercial Appeal.

Instant Analysis

I LOVE this signing. Repeat: LOVE! Allen will provide depth at both the point and shooting guard positions and will bring playoff experience to a Memphis team poised to make its first postseason run in years. While he does not bring much to the table offensively, he is a phenomenal defender and proved that by locking down superstars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in the 2010 playoffs. For the Celtics in 2010, he averaged 17 minutes and 6 points per contest while averaging the most steals-per-36-minutes (2.4). His offensive game consists mostly of drives to the basket (he shot just 5 3-pointers all season), but he converted over half of his shots (51%). But he has earned his keep on the defensive end, and will provide much needed veteran experience and leadership to the Grizzlies' second unit. Look forward to a great season from Allen.

With this signing, the Grizzlies 2010-2011 roster is likely complete. It seems that the starting unit will be Mike Conley (PG), OJ Mayo (SG), Rudy Gay (SF), Zach Randolph (PF) and Marc Gasol (C). Off the bench, Sam Young, Allen, Xavier Henry, Darrell Arthur, Greivis Vasquez, Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll and Hamed Haddadi should round out the roster.

Can't wait for next season,

Owen