Memphis Grizzlies star Mike Conley has struggled to hit shots early on this season. That hasn’t stopped him from leading this team to a 5-2 start.
Mike Conley has been very impactful on both sides of the ball. His aggressiveness on the offensive end has led to a lot of good looks for his teammates.
He has struggled to hit some open looks himself though. He has missed many shots near the rim he usually makes as well as some three-pointers that are usually automatic.
Conley has averaged 20.3 points and 6 assists per game so he’s still having a big impact. He is doing it on just 38.3% from the field and 31.1% from deep.
Pull-Up Jumper Struggles
His pull-up jumpers have been the biggest concern. He is shooting just 29% on two-point pull-ups while shooting 4.4 of them per game. He is also hitting just 28% of them from three-point range while shooting 3.6 of those per game.
Conley has attempted 16.1 shots per game so nearly half of his shots come off of pull-up jumpers. If it continues to be like that it will be hard for him to get out of this slump.
His pull-up jumper is such a strength so I understand him wanting to use it but getting easy catch-and-shoot looks will help him get his confidence back.
The high screen and rolls with Conley and Marc Gasol are so tough for opposing defenses to defend but Conley has to be hitting shots to open up the top of the key three for Gasol.
Conley’s catch-and-shoot threes have been much better, hitting 36.8% on 2.7 attempts per game. They want the ball in Conley’s hands as much as possible but they have other guys who can run the offense to create open looks.
Shelvin Mack has done a really good job running the offense to start the season. He has had his fair share of mistakes but he has shown he can make plays with the second unit, as well as with the starters.
With Mack playing point guard it gives Conley a chance to come off screens and get open catch-and-shoot opportunities. Those open shots have led to a hot start for Garrett Temple and could be beneficial to Conley as well.
Kyle Anderson is another guy who can facilitate and run the offense. He does a good job attacking the lane and finding teammates for open looks.
The pull-up jumper is a good weapon for Conley to have in his arsenal. This team has the guys to make plays so there’s no need for Conley to force things when he has other guys who can get him easy looks.
Close Shots
Mike Conley has also struggled to make shots around the rim. For whatever reason, he has struggled to finish some of the looks he had made in the past.
During the 2016-17 season, Conley made 60.6% of his shots from within 10 feet. So far this season that number is only at 52.8%.
That’s not a large enough decrease to worry this early in the season but it very well could be affecting his confidence.
Conley’s ability to attack the basket and finish at the rim is such a big part of his game. Even if he hasn’t finished at as high of a clip as he would like it has still opened up some things for their offense though.
Getting Healthy
No matter the injury it takes time to recover. Mike Conley missed most of last season due to a heel injury.
When you return from injury it’s tough to get your legs underneath you. As he continues to get more games in and gets up to speed we should see all of these numbers increase.
Mike Conley is 31 years old and is in his 12th NBA season. Any player with that much wear and tear on their body will take even longer to regain their strength.
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Another thing with older guys returning from injuries is that you have to be more patient. The risk of re-injury is much higher than it is for a younger player.
If he wants to continue playing at a high level for years to come the team needs to make sure he gets proper rest during games.
There’s not any reason to be concerned that Conley will struggle to stay healthy but he has dealt with some nagging injuries throughout his career so it’s something to think about.
The Memphis Grizzlies are off to a good start and there’s no reason they can’t continue to be successful. If Conley can stay healthy, this team will win a lot of games in the western conference.
Big Performance Against Utah
Mike Conley had a big game against the Utah Jazz to help get the Memphis Grizzlies to a 5-2 record. He finished the game with 28 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
He didn’t have a good field-goal percentage last game these two teams played and didn’t this time either. His ability to attack the basket was key in both of these matchups.
In the first matchup, he made 10 of 11 shots from the free-throw line and followed that up by making 11 of 13 this time around.
His three-pointer at the buzzer of the first half was huge for the Grizzlies. It cut the lead down to seven going into the locker room and it gave them the confidence they needed.
The pressure he puts on defenses is worth so much more than a couple of missed shots. If he can continue to play aggressive like he has good things will come for himself and for this team.