Dunks are probably the most exciting part of basketball, and a player dunking on another player is even more thrilling. Perhaps no other player in the last two decades brought this kind of excitement like the Denver Nuggets' DeAndre Jordan, who used to posterize people on a daily basis with the Los Angeles Clippers. Even the Memphis Grizzlies' Tony Allen, one of the toughest defenders of his era, faced the full force of a DeAndre Jordan poster.
In a recent appearance on The Chris Vernon Show, Allen put up Jordan dunking on him in the playoffs as the best dunk he'd ever seen.
“I'm trying to do All-Team Defense,” the Grizzlies swingman said, while watching the replay. “‘Cause it was supposed to be my tag–I'm supposed to come over there and tagged, right? And I got over there just a little too late, and man, Chris Paul looked out the way and threw that MF like that. I said, ‘Oh my God.' That's when I knew. I knew for a fact, and I said, ‘Oh, yo, he finna finish this.'”
Grizzlies at the Grindhouse
Fans who liked to watch defense surely loved watching the Grizzlies in the early 2010s, whose stifling defense earned their homecourt the moniker “The Grindhouse.” Likewise, the team's style of play relied on hustle and teamwork–“Grit and Grind”–over star power to win games, unlike other playoff teams at the time. With Marc Gasol protecting the paint and Tony Allen on the perimeter, no one wanted to play the Grizz at their peak.
Still, defense has its consequences, one of them is another player putting you on a poster, like DeAndre Jordan dunking on Tony Allen. However, the Grindfather obviously knows that it's just part of playing hard-nosed defense.
Allen was part of the 2008 Boston Celtics squad whose defense carried them to the championship. Despite being a relatively smaller guard, Allen's tenacious defense earned selections to three All-Defense first teams and three All-Defense second teams.
Return to prominence
While the Grit and Grind era is over, the Grizzlies added Marcus Smart, another former Celtic known for his defensive acumen. However, unlike Allen, Smart won Defensive Player of the Year. Despite injuries cutting his first season short, he should add veteran stability and leadership to a young team whose brashness at times seemed to outweigh their talent.
The Grizzlies are in transition, too. Losing noted trash-talker Dillon Brooks to the Houston Rockets and adding Smart in exchange signals a welcome change. Moreover, Ja Morant's hefty suspension and recovery from injury should light a fire under him to prove why he's still one of the best point guards in the league.
Look for them to enter the 2024-2025 campaign with more maturity and grit, a bit like the predecessors.
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