Earlier this summer I was watching Tony Allen give an interview on ESPN. In response to one question, Allen said, "well, I've been with the club for six years..." The rest of the sentence faded off into nothingness as I had to grab hold of the sofa to get my bearings. Six years? Tony Allen? Whoa. It's a time like this when you need Winston Churchill's gift with words: Never in the course of human history has one team invested so much time with just one player and gotten so little in return. (sorry Winston, I gave it my best).
As it turns out, next season will be Tony Allen's sixth with the Celtics. Even five seasons seems extraordinary, given what we all know about those five years. At his best, Tony Allen has been a stifling defender. He reminded me of Deion Sanders on a basketball court, standing in front of his cover, relaxed, waiting, just waiting for his guy to do something--make a move, any move--and as soon as the guy moved, Tony was on him like milk on cereal. Of course, we didn't see this Tony Allen very often.
Once the Grant Hill saga ends with Hill snubbing the Hub, Danny will be back where he was last summer, looking for a Deion-Sanders like corner to replace James Posey. They aren't easy to find, especially when you consider that James had length (6'8"), defensive prowess, perimeter range, nerves of steel, and bankable consistency. Tony Allen has demonstrated none of these characteristics with any consistency, which is what would have made signing Grant Hill so sweet.
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