Is Nick Calathes The Next Tony Allen?

The stagger in the Memphis Grizzlies’ gait and the dejection in their eyes says it all. The team has conceded the second seed in the Western Conference as injuries have depleted the roster — just in time for the playoffs. One of the lengthier and most concerning recent injuries is that of Tony Allen‘s hamstring.

Allen’s absence has been palpable since March 28 when he first injured himself against the Golden State Warriors. Memphis has gone a total of 16 games without their defensive stopper, and his absence is what many believe is the primary cause for the Grizzlies’ .500 record over that stretch.

Allen radiates an infectious defensive intensity that spreads to the rest of his teammates, and that disease is what gave rise to the Grizzlies’ grit and grind culture.

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Lurking in the shadows of the Grindfather is an emerging defensive ace in his own right: Nick Calathes. Informed fans have recognized Calathes’ prowess and unremitting energy on the defensive end. Allen may be the quintessence of the Energizer Bunny, but Calathes is the quick-witted apprentice.

Calathes is content with playing a limited role, and he gives maximum effort whenever his name is called upon by the coach. This studious apprentice absorbs all of Allen’s tendencies on the court and attempts to emulate it during the brief 14 minutes he’s provided per game.

He’s receiving fewer minutes than he did in his season debut with Memphis last year (16.5 min/game last year to 14.1 min/game this year). Despite playing in a reserve role behind Mike Conley and Beno Udrih, Calathes has been making incremental gains on defense over the course of the season.

In February, he went berserk and had eight straight games of two-plus steals, leading the league in post-All-Star Break steals per game at that point.

On the surface, losing Allen seemed as though it would devastate the Grizzlies defense. The team has struggled — just .500 since his injury — but Allen’s hamstring injury left Nick Calathes to step up as a top-notch replacement. The stats show just what his work has done for the team:

Time Frame	Win %	Rebounds	Steals	Blocks	Def RTG	Opp eFG%
Pre-TA Injury	67.6	42.4	8.6	4.2	100.3	49.3
Post-TA Injury	50	42.5	6.9	4.3	97.7	48.2

Rebounds, Steals, Blocks are all per game.

Def RTG – Number of points allowed per 100 possessions

Opp eFG% – Opponents’ effective field goal percentage (a more useful field goal % that accounts for 3’s)

There are a few obvious changes when Calathes plays instead of Allen, but the most perceptible one is the lack of steals Memphis accumulates without Allen.

Allen is undeniably the Grizzlies’ best ball hawk and disruptor on defense, as he’s responsible for most of the team’s steals by a wide margin; however, the Grizzlies have managed to maintain, and even improve, in some other areas with Calathes.

They’re giving up three fewer points per 100 possessions and are holding opponents to poorer shooting since Allen began rehabbing his hamstring.

This isn’t an argument for Calathes as the better defender, but his defensive efforts have gone under the radar this season. There are definite similarities between this pupil’s defensive skills and the master’s. Here’s another look at what Calathes has done this season compared to Allen:

	Def RTG	Overall FG% Impact	3P% Impact	2P% Impact	6ft FG% Impact		>15ft FG% Impact
Tony Allen	94.9	-7.5	-4.6	-8.0	-1.1	-4.6	-5.4
Nick Calathes	92.4	-7.0	-9.8	-6.0	-11.1	-10.8	-4.0

Def RTG – Defensive Rating, points allowed per 100 possessions with player on the floor

Impact- Change in opponents’ shooting percentages from their average, in that area, when guarded by player

With Calathes on the floor, the Grizzlies have given up 2.5 fewer points per 100 possessions than when Allen was out there. Part of that might come from the shutdown 3-point defense Calathes has developed. In fact, he disrupts opposing shooters to a greater degree more than Allen in every area except long midrange jumpers.

There’s (currently) no accurate measure for tenacity on the court, but it sure seems as though Calathes is nearing Allen in that regard as well.

The widest chasm between the Grizzlies’ two top defenders is steals per game. But once Calathes’ almost 15 fewer minutes per game than Allen are accounted for, the discrepancy is nearly insignificant. Per 36 minutes of play, Tony Allen has recorded 2.8 steals while Nick Calathes has nabbed 2.6.

Among Grizzlies with significant minutes under their belts, Allen and Calathes stand head and shoulders above the rest (Conley is next in line at 1.4 steals per 36 minutes).

Ultimately, the Grizzlies are absolutely missing Tony Allen, who is unquestionably the team’s most disruptive defender and one of their most important pieces overall; but slowly they’re growing to fill those currently vacant shoes in a young and feisty guard with similar tenacity and an impressive defensive skillset: Nick Calathes.

Next: Will The Memphis Grizzlies' Hot Start Fizzle In The Platoffs?

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