Daily Bullets (April 29)

End of an Era

Update on Tony Allen’s career in Memphis with the Grizzlies being knocked out:

There’s no question that Memphis needs what a healthy version of (Tony) Allen brings. He’s still their best defensive player on the perimeter, and he has so much experience playing off their other core players that his inability to space the floor is less of an issue than it would be anywhere else. However, if the muscle strain that kept him out of this postseason is a sign of things to come, it will be difficult for Memphis to offer him a long-term contract.

Allen has never signed a big contract (at least in NBA terms) in his career, either, so he may not be as willing to take a pay cut. Memphis without the Grindfather would be like Shawshank prison without Andy Dufresne: it just wouldn’t be as bright a place. Let’s hope both sides can figure something out. [The Ringer]

The former Big 12 player of the year established the culture in Memphis, coining the phrase “Grit Grind” and nightly guarding the other teams best wing. It’s hard to pay a 35 year old big money to play defense and he’s bound to drop off at some point. Zach Lowe has espoused a contract idea for Dirk that allows for a team icon to be paid outside of the cap for his value, the same would naturally apply to Tony Allen.

On Deck

Vincent Taylor listed in the top five best prospects left for day three of the draft.

5. Vincent Taylor, Defensive Interior, Oklahoma State

Big Board Rank: 63

Position Rank: 5

The first nose tackle to crack the list, Taylor’s intriguing potential will likely see him selected some time on Day 2. Although far from perfect, his flashes of brilliance are hard to ignore. Taylor ticks the boxes for size, athleticism and production. His length is instantly noticeable, particularly on first contact. Centers have a difficult job at the best of times, and Taylor compounds the problem with his capacity to overwhelm blockers heads up. [Pro Football Focus]

Obviously a dated analysis (as he’ll be going on day three) but a late second/early third round grade is great for Taylor. That Oklahoma State had an NFL-level talent plugging the middle of the defense is a hallmark – and looks great for the program.

OSU and NCAA Notes

Texas Tech is losing their top receiver to transfer….ORU hired a Baylor assistant for head coach….ESPN messed up trying to insult the Big 12 on Thursday night….Great story on one of college football’s only female officials….Surefire top five NBA pick Lonzo Ball lost out on top sponsorships because of his..unorthodox father

Woof, a looong day at Allie P.

FINAL: #OKState falls to Texas 7-0 in Game 2 after losing 5-4 in Game 1. It has been a long day at Allie P.

— Marshall Scott (@Marshall_Once) April 29, 2017

Mercy, what a quarterback room.

At one point, Kingsbury had future Heisman finalist Baker Mayfield, 3rd rounder Davis Webb in same room w/ 10th pick Pat Mahomes on the way

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) April 29, 2017

Cowgirl Tennis moving on to the semi’s, Cowboys were upset yesterday by lower ranked Texas Tech.

#okstate tallies its sixth-straight sweep to move into the #Big12TEN semifinals!

A post shared by Cowgirl_Tennis (@cowgirl_tennis) on Apr 28, 2017 at 4:53pm PDT

What You Missed on PFB

• Round table: Where will OSU players end up in the draft?
• Receiver prospect nearly jumped out of the long jump pit
• Receiver depth doesn’t mean equality

Other Stuff I’m Reading

If you’re looking for a punny draft follow on Twitter…..AOM had some rational ideas on how to be more approachable….A fair piece on how Billy Donovan did at developing the young Thunder roster….Embracing rest is a challenging concept today….Agree with a lot of these takeaways from round one of the NBA playoffs (especially no. 2)