5 Reasons why the Memphis Grizzlies should have kept Lance Stephenson

No. 1: He Could’ve been the Tony Allen replacement

Replacing Tony Allen is a tall task.

He’s the best defensive stopper of this past decade – Kobe even said it so don’t use the analytics with me. His tenacity is unmatched, and his value to the city is crazy high. Tony Allen will forever be a folk legend in Memphis.

This offseason, people are hesitant about letting Tony go, because they don’t know who they’re bringing in. Granted, the Memphis Grizzlies made sneaky moves by signing Ben McLemore and Tyreke Evans on the low. However, we don’t know what version of them will show up.

The certainty of Lance Stephenson would’ve eased the pain of losing Tony Allen, especially if he played like he did in his run with Memphis. They’re almost the same person in terms of aggression and personality. Both are the goofy, lovable players who play hard.

The main difference between the two is Lance is the “Offensive Tony.” While Tony makes his impact known on defense, Lance gets rolling on the offensive end, something Coach Fizdale would’ve loved.