Memphis Grizzlies Need Mike Conley to Take Away an NBA All-Star Spot

While the Memphis Grizzlies’ Mike Conley has made a name for himself, he needs to do more in order to snag an NBA All-Star spot from another Western Conference guard.

NBA All-Star voting is underway, and fans of the Memphis Grizzlies are certainly hoping to see Mike Conley finally receive league-wide recognition. Yet, whose spot will he take?

“Mike Conley should be an All-Star this year, no doubt!” Then there is “Mike Conley is elite!” followed by “Mike Conley is a top-20 NBA player!”

I have seen all of these statements from local Grizzlies fans, and as each game of the 2018-19 season passes, I cringe when remembering people actually believe such about Mike Conley.

In seven of the last 10 games Conley has played, Grizz Nation has seen him shoot well below 50% from the field. Since November 23rd, Memphis has lost 12 of the last 18 games going 6-12 in that span, going from third to 10th place in the Western Conference playoff race.

In other words, we went from the Peabody to the Loyalty Inn of the NBA totem pole. All of this has happened while local fans remain as loyal as ever advocating Mike Conley for his first NBA All-Star appearance, and it could not be under worse terms for fans.

The West has guards by the likes of Stephen Curry, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and even Jrue Holiday or Derrick Rose on the back-end of the worthy All-Star candidates.

All of the aforementioned guys are players who take over and drag their teams to the finish line over long stretches if need be, a la James Harden having a 40-point or more game every other game in the recent stretch with Chris Paul out for hamstring maintenance.

As the first half concluded in Monday’s game versus the Houston Rockets, Harden had 28 points on only 10 shots. That is how you secure an NBA All-Star spot despite climbing from the back-end of the playoff race.

Unfortunately, Mike Conley has not had a night like that in his career, let alone 40-point stretches in the same season like Harden and several other worthy candidates have.

Sure, Conley has had multiple 30-point games this season. Sure, he averages 20 points, six assists, and nearly 4 rebounds per game. Yes, Marc Gasol needs to be more assertive as a scorer to assist No. 11.

Those are All-Star-caliber statistics from Mike Conley, but they are not All-Star snub numbers, especially considering the way the Memphis Grizzlies have fell apart over the past 40 days and 18 games.

Some can argue Conley has earned an NBA All-Star spot, but in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, one has to TAKE an All-Star spot, not just earn it.

Recently on Twitter, I mentioned to Grind City Media‘s Chris Vernon that Mike Conley losing to the Lillard-led Portland Trail Blazers on December 21st is not All-Star material.

Vernon, being as loyal to Conley as he rightfully is, fired back with the fact Conley averaged at least 23 points, four rebounds, and six assists in the two games, and won the first game versus Lillard and Portland.

That is all fine and dandy if your All-Star spot is secure. However, when you are playing a guy like Dame, who has usually held one of the All-Star guard spots ever so elusive to Conley, one cannot just split the series with the man standing a step ahead in your way. One has to win outright in dominance to send the message clearly.

Yes, you split with Damian Lillard, but he holds the better overall record along with NBA All-Star history, plus Lillard has produced more across the board than Conley in the statistical department. Not to mention Mike Conley is shooting less than 50% in effective field goal percentage, so his production certainly is not the most efficient either.

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As I watched the Memphis Grizzlies get mauled by yet another Western Conference All-Star guard (James Harden) on Monday, I could not help but accept Conley has not produced anywhere near what these guys do on almost a nightly basis — not even one game in Conley’s career.

Even expiring veteran’s minimum deal Derrick Rose has had a 50-point game this season to carry his team to a win. Rose also has a nearly identical stat line as Mike Conley, but Rose is shooting far more efficiently this season than the Ohio State alum.

Now I may not come off as the biggest Mike Conley fan, but even the most loyal of Conley fans have to admit they would have a hard time picking No. 11 over the candidates he is competing against for a backcourt spot on the NBA All-Star team.

One can produce an All-Star production line, and even earn a spot, but if you did not take your spot to secure it, then the NBA All-Star guard competition has a rude awakening. This is the same awakening the Memphis Grizzlies’ point guard has faced each time while competing for a spot on Team USA against the same competition.

So, yes, at his peak, Mike Conley is All-Star-CALIBER, but that does not make you an All-Star snub.