“Nothing Move Without Us Talking About Kawhi Leonard”: Grizzlies Legend Once Gave Out His Picks for Best Defenders in the NBA

Having secured 3x All-Defensive First Team and 3x All-Defensive Second Team nominations, Tony Allen knows how to spot an elite defender in the NBA. In 2019, when he was asked about elite defenders, Kawhi Leonard’s name jumped immediately into his mind. The former Memphis Grizzlies guard also touched upon some of the rising stars of the time, who have now turned out to be some of the best perimeter defenders in the league. 

In 2019, Allen sat down for a Q&A session with NBA.com. During the interview, he was asked, “Who are the dogs on defense in the NBA right now?” Upon hearing the question, Allen’s mind straightaway went to Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, who had won the NBA Championship and the Finals MVP with the Raptors that year.

“Obviously, don’t nothing move without us talking about Kawhi Leonard. Those battles with him were always the ones you made sure you got your nice rest for. However, me looking at the game now, I just think Kawhi pretty much dominates both ends,” said Tony Allen.

He also mentioned how Leonard’s teammates Paul George and then Clippers guard Patrick Beverley were also “standouts”. The former NBA lockdown defender also lauded then Boston Celtics Guard Marcus Smart’s ability to guard all positions.

By 2019, Smart had built a solid reputation on the defensive end and had also made his maiden All-Defensive First-Team at the end of the 2018-19 season. Talking about Smart, the 2008 NBA Champion reflected, “You catch the guy [Marcus Smart] sticking Kevin Love in some games. Then, you catch him sticking Damian Lillard. So, he’s 1 through 5, you know what I mean?”

Tony Allen made a strong case for the Defensive Player of the Year award for a few seasons during his stint with the Grizzlies. His defense against Kevin Durant in the playoffs attracted attention. However, the Grizzlies’ lack of accolades slowly turned his defensive exploits into an afterthought. On the other hand, Kawhi Leonard’s defense gained more attention as he continued to impress in the playoffs on both ends of the floor.

In retrospect, Allen’s perceptions about the best defenders have stood the test of time. Leonard and George continue to be two-way maestros for the Clippers. Beverley still brings value as a defensive guard whereas Smart won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2022. As for Tony Allen, he also earned his fair share of praise as a lockdown defender.

Tony Allen has a storied resume

During the “Grit and Grind” years of Grizzlies in the mid-2010s, Tony Allen was the perimeter backbone on defense. Alongside Mike Conley, Tayshaun Prince, Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol, he was a nightmare to deal with physically. Mentioning his 6x All-Defensive Team selection is just merely scratching the surface. Allen would deny touches to his assignment, would shut the passing lane each possession, and didn’t shy away from taking elbows or hitting the floor. His defensive prowess can be best understood through Kobe Bryant’s words, someone who faced some of the most excellent defenders in his career.

During his farewell season, the Mamba gifted Allen his autographed shoes and wrote, “To Tony[Allen], the best defender I ever faced.” During the 2019 NBA Q&A session, he revered Bryant as the best player he guarded. He expressed “No other player that I’ve ever played against fouled me out in like eight minutes.”

He also recalled “rewinding, rewinding, rewinding, rewinding, just hitting rewind” Bryant’s tape while preparing for the match-up a day ago. Despite his thorough preparations, there were many occasions when Bryant got the best of him. However, the mutual acknowledgment shows that these two were among the best at their trade in NBA history.