Kevin Durant has been striking fear into the hearts of defenders in the NBA for the last 18 years. One of his toughest matchups came against wing defender Tony Allen, someone Durant has credited as the toughest defender he’s ever faced. Allen opened up on Durant’s offensive ability while speaking to Chris Vernon.
“Once he turns his back and backs you down, the turnaround jump shot is there. You ain’t blocking it. If you rise up, he’s beating by about 7 or 8 inches on the pull-up. Then when he drives, he’s definitely going to get the call because he’s frail and if you’re too physical, it’s like, ‘Aight ref, this is my move, I get this freedom of space.’ He was tough when the pick-and-roll came because if you went under, it’s like a layup.”
The Durant-Allen matchup was a featured aspect of 2010s basketball, with hardcore basketball fans tuning into the matchup knowing that one of the biggest storylines would be how Tony Allen guards Kevin Durant.
Even though Allen was a tough defender, Durant averaged 26.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 24 contests against Allen in the regular season. He did score big numbers but shot 47.6% from the field and averaged 3.3 turnovers per game, both much worse than his career average would indicate. They went 12-12 in the regular season over Allen’s career.
Durant and Allen faced off in three Playoff matchups when Allen was the defensive specialist on the grit-and-grind Grizzlies while Durant was emerging as a star on the OKC Thunder. They played 19 games where Durant averaged 28.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. His efficiency falls to 43.8% from the field and his turnovers slightly increase to 3.4 per game, with a 9-10 record.
Allen beat Durant in more Playoff games, but Durant won two out of the three series matchups they had during the Thunder-Grizzlies rivalry of the early 2010s. Few players in NBA history have more insight into Durant’s game than Tony Allen, as he spent half a decade trying to guard Durant on a premier West team like the Grizzlies.
Kevin Durant Said Tony Allen Had Him Thinking About Offense Differently
Tony Allen’s impact might be forgotten in the years to come as statistics will never tell you how excellent he was as a defender in the NBA. His legacy will live on through stars like Durant, who has previously called Allen the toughest defender he’s ever faced. He also broke down how he adjusted his offensive approach based on Allen’s defense.
“It was Tony Allen. He had me thinking about my offense differently… My game was always free-flowing, I’m out there just playing. Ball comes to me. I’m gonna shoot it, get in the lane, I’m gonna go. He (Allen) was cutting s*** off, denying the ball from me, got into my pocket. So I needed to find different setups, I started working on preparation before I catch the ball, just small parts of the game, I felt like he was teaching me that little s***.”
Allen fueled Durant into being a better offensive player, as the now-Suns star effortlessly averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists last season. While there is a new generation of elite wing defenders, Tony Allen will continue commanding widespread respect from players in the league.
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