Memphis Grizzlies: 15 players who defined Grit and Grind

Mike Conley is the floor general that makes it all work on the Memphis hardwood. A blue-chip prospect coming out of Ohio State, Memphis drafted the son of an Olympic track star No. 4 overall in 2004. The Indianapolis native has been with the Grizzlies ever since.

While Conley has somehow never been an NBA All-Star, his No. 11 jersey will almost certainly hang in the FedEx Forum rafters when he calls it a career. Grossly underrated in the national landscape, Conley is everything you would want out of a star point guard.

He is an adept playmaker with the ball in his hands, always willing to help out on defense and make his teammates better. If need be, Conley will drive for a bucket in the paint or set up from beyond the arc to stretch the floor. Without a doubt, the offense runs through Conley, as he is the Memphis Maestro on the hardwood.

Conley has averaged 14.3 points, 5.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game during his first 11 years with the Grizzlies. He has shot 44.1 percent from the floor and 37.7 percent from 3-point land in his Memphis career through the 2017-18 NBA season.

Conley has been a starter since day one arriving in Memphis, having made 688 starts in 718 career games with the Grizzlies. He has started in 56 playoff games for the Grizzlies as well, averaging 16.5 points, 6.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds per postseason contest. Those totals are higher than his career average during the regular season. Basically, Conley’s brings his best game when it is needed in the spring and early summer.

But it’s not just about stats with Conley. Other point guards in the Western Conference might put up better numbers. It’s a shame sometimes that the Grizzlies don’t play in the weaker Eastern Conference, as Conley would have made by now at least a handful of NBA All-Star games.

Simply put, the guy plays with tremendous heart and an undying loyalty to the organization that drafted him out of Ohio State in 2007. No matter the injury that has succumbed to, Conley claws his way back to the Memphis hardwood and gives his team a chance to win in every game.

Nationally, NBA fans know who he is and respect his passion for the game of basketball. In Memphis, Conley is a legendary ball handler and the general of “Grit and Grind”. He may not end up in the hall of fame, but that really doesn’t matter. Conley is without question one of the greatest Grizzlies in franchise history. Replacing him at some point will be tough sledding for Memphis for sure. He’s just been that key to the team’s success for the last decade plus.