Memphis Grizzlies: Has Mike Conley Officially Reached Elite Status?

Who’s on His Level?

PF: So you believe that he should score more, something that he showed in this series. You insist that he’s an average point guard on a B/B+ level. Who else is in his tier?

JF: Goran Dragic, Dennis Schröder, Jeff Teague, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Reggie Jackson, George Hill, Ricky Rubio, Jeremy Lin. Great company, just not elite.

PF: That’s indeed a great company to be apart of. All, with the exception of Rubio and Lin, have led playoff teams and have been key contributors to them. It’s just hard to say that they’re average, though. Are you considering them to be average starting point guards or just clearly average point guards?

JF: Average starting point guards, but it’s all in comparison. So, Mike Conley might be the lead of that company, but he still isn’t a Damian Lillard or Isaiah Thomas. Kemba Walker is arguably the “player of separation.”

PF: So … if I’m right, you’re ranking (in no particular order) Russ, Steph, CP3, Harden (if you count him as a point guard), Wall, Kyrie, IT, Dame, Lowry and Kemba(?????). So no Conley?

JF: You forgot Eric Bledsoe.

Closing Remarks

JF: Anyway, Conley is a great all-around point guard. He will get the job done. That’s it.

All those guys you listed will take over a game and will win the game by themselves. They all are the ones taking the last-second shot, while Conley is still proving himself as the last second go-to guy. Most of the time, Marc Gasol was taking the last shot. When it comes to starting point guards across the league, Conley falls around the middle. He’s the with great company, as I mentioned before, but they’re not the type of players to dominate a game by themselves. Conley did a great job making his case this season, but compared to the rest of the league, he’s an average starting point guard.

Next: Comparing Conley and Kyrie

PF: Eric Bledsoe? Okay, now it’s time to finish this.

In all honestly, Mike isn’t a Steph Curry or Russell Westbrook or Chris Paul, but that’s okay. He’s done his job every year and has gotten the Grizzlies to the playoffs in seven of his 10 years in the league, something not many guards in that company you mentioned can boast. Over the years, Conley has proven that he can hit big shots but has also had the luxury of having guys like Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol who could close a game out as well. Throughout this season and postseason, Mike Conley has proven he can play at an elite level. If he can keep it up for the next 2-3 years, he would solidify himself as one of the best point guards in this league.

Thank you for joining us on this debate. Leave your thoughts in the comments section.