There is no doubt about it. Mike Conley — also known as the Memphis Grizzlies’ Captain Clutch — has lived up to his name during the month of March.
With a career-high night in the month of March and averaging his career-best in the scoring department this season, how does the Memphis Grizzlies‘ Mike Conley rate against that of, say, Golden State’s Golden Boy, Stephen Curry?
Since February’s NBA Trade Deadline, the buckets switch has flipped for Mike Conley. Before the deadline, Conley and Marc Gasol had to focus on moving the ball and running the floor. With the acquisition of a surplus of veteran players and offensive playmakers, Conley’s role has evolved from more of a point guard to a shooting guard.
With this, he is currently averaging 26.5 points and 6.9 assists in the month of March. Mike Conley was able to put up a career-high 40 points against the Portland Trail Blazers just a few weeks ago. He leads the league in points made off floaters this season and is still one of the league’s most clutch scorers, earning him the rightful nickname of “Captain Clutch.” This version of Conley is fun to watch and his animation on the court definitely brings the Forum to its feet.
Conley Over Curry
With all of this being said, how does Mike Conley fair, during the month of March, against that of the Memphis Grizzlies’ opponent — Stephen Curry — on Wednesday? This recent surge in Mike’s offense has propelled him above the Splash Brother of the west coast in a few categories.
Curry, for the month of March, is averaging two points per game less than Conley. Additionally, he is generating two less assists per game than the Grizzlies’ starting point guard. Mike Conley’s numbers are based on eight games, while Curry’s are based off 10 games over the last month.
Many may say that is not enough to note, but for those fans that almost had to say goodbye to Mike Conley last month, this is huge for the future of the Memphis Grizzlies franchise as the offseason approaches. It provides a boost in the value of Conley on the trade market, but alternatively, it could persuade the Grizzlies to hang tight on Captain Clutch. March Madness indeed.