Tony Allen can act as a defensive wrecking ball on his best nights, causing an opponent’s top option to crumble.

"My whole thing is getting guys focused," Allen said. "I play with a lot of passion. I play with a lot of heart and soul. I play like this is my last. I play like I may not ever get back on the court again. I'm going to tire myself out. I'm going to be yelling. I'm going to be screaming. But I always hope that has a snowball effect."

Allen was voted the NBA’s best perimeter defender in the annual general manager survey.

"He's like an Army general," Mike Conley said. "He says crazy things but goes out there and backs it up. He works as hard as he speaks. ... He gives 100 percent on every possession."

The Grizzlies lead the league in opponent turnover percentage at 17 percent, with Allen forcing 13.4 percent of the team’s takeaways.

"Defensively, he talks to everybody," Rudy Gay said. "He's always helping everybody on the court when it comes to defense."