Dwyane Wade Given Props By All-Time Great Defender

"He a Chi-Town kid, we been battling ever since high school," Allen previously said. "Then he became Hall of Fame, top 25 [of all time], he one of them guys man so, salute man. Salute D-Wade."

Allen, who was selected to three All-Defensive First Teams and three All-Defensive Second Teams, had to guard Wade on many occasions throughout his 14-year career, having been drafted a year after Wade and retiring one season before Wade did.

"I thought he was always trying to go at my head. I thought it was my duty to try to stop him and boy was he tough," Allen also said about Wade in the past, when going over players who gave him fits. "He'd get to that line, he slashed, he wasn't just your typical superstar where he just catch it in the post or catch it on the wing and go to work. He used the pick-and-roll. Sometimes being the offense if he can't get his shot going on the pull-up, [he] backdoor cuts. You gotta be aware of a superstar staying this active. Watching the offensive rebound, he might come tip dunk it. I thought that every time that I got a chance to play, he performed and it was difficult."

Former All-Defense guard praises Davion Mitchell

Davion Mitchell has earned a reputation among his peers during his short time in the NBA.

Even as he struggled to carve out a regular role on Sacramento and Toronto due to his offensive inefficiencies, some of the best in the game noticed what he did on the other end of the floor.

And now that he's more of a proven all-around NBA player, with a new two-year, $24 million contract from the Miami Heat and a possible starting role until Tyler Herro, the praise keeps coming.

First, it was Kevin Durant telling LeBron James and JJ Redick on the "Mind the Game" podcast that teams can't start short guards anymore, but making an exception for guards who play defense with the ferocity that Mitchell does.

And now it's a former "Grit and Grind" stopper who earned the name of the "Grindfather" while making six All-Defensive teams, winning a championship with the Boston Celtics and winning plenty of games for the Memphis Grizzlies:

Tony Allen is impressed.

Mitchell, who has the nickname "Off Night," can't have many of his own this season. The Heat will be counting on him to hound the opponent's most dynamic backcourt threat, which will allow newcomer Norman Powell to focus on carrying much of the offense.

But it will also help if Mitchell continues the upward shooting trend that he showed after the Heat acquired him as part of the Jimmy Butler deal in February. He also was able to consistently attack the paint, which will be useful for a team that lacks overall offensive creation.

It's defense where he's made his name, however, and those who know (like Tony Allen) have noticed.

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