The Pelicans were in dire need of some depth on the wing after an already thin roster in that area lost starting small forward Solomon Hill for the majority of the season.
They have decided to attempt to plug that hole (at least with putty) by signing veteran lock down defender Tony Allen.
Sources: Tony Allen finalizing one-year deal with Pelicans. @ShamsCharania report on @TheVertical. https://t.co/WavMkfbEdK
— Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) September 11, 2017
While Allen is 35 and has lost a step, his incredible determination, toughness, leadership and commitment to the defensive end made it shocking to me that he hadn’t been signed by a team in need of a veteran presence. While imagining a Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen back court for stretches could lead to a lot of this…
https://twitter.com/keekopgmd/status/907373897380765696
This is still a really good and much needed signing for a Pelicans team that is dying to make the postseason. Allen likely won’t start and will likely play mostly in lineups featuring Jrue Holiday and Ian Clark around him, but he will still have a huge role and affect on this team. Hell, maybe he can even motivate DeMarcus Cousins to stay focused and become a more mentally tough and winning basketball player like Allen.
The NBA world is a better place with all of the quirkiness and passion of Tony Allen in it, I am glad to see him find a team and a role for 2017-18.
