Memphis Grizzlies: Snub Talk Aside, Mike Conley’s All-NBA Votes Raises Value

With all the snub discussions put to the side, Mike Conley is receiving a little All-NBA credit for his comeback season with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The annual All-NBA teams — three in total — have been announced, and as should be expected, the Memphis Grizzlies did not have any representation within the 15 named players. Their poor record did not warrant any accolades. Still, the voting results hint that Mike Conley turned some heads in his comeback season from a significant injury.

During the 2017-18 NBA season, Conley appeared in just 12 games for the Grizzlies prior to being shut down in order to fully recovery from a nagging Achilles ailment. It proved to be a smart choice, especially from an individual performance standpoint. Mike was able to bounce back, playing in 70 of 82 games in 2018-19, and ranking first on the team in games played on the season.

In establishing a Player Efficiency Rating of 21.4, this season ranks second in Mike Conley’s most efficient years in the NBA. Plus, he produced career-highs in points per game (21.1), total points scored (1,478), free-throws made and attempted, and field goals made and attempted. He boosted his game offensively, especially in the fourth quarter. Conley ranked 15th in the entire NBA in fourth quarter scoring with an average of 6.1 points.

He provided Memphis with a chance to win in a lot of games that they had no business of being in. While the Grizzlies’ 33-49 could have been better, alternatively, it could have been much worse.

This season, Mike Conley received four votes for All-NBA Third Team, which resulted in a total of four points to his name. Among all guards in the league that did not land on an All-NBA team, this tied him with Utah’s Donovan Mitchell for fourth. The three players ahead of Conley — Bradley Beal, Klay Thompson, and Ben Simmons, respectively — were all named to this past February’s NBA All-Star Game.

Once again, you could say that Mike Conley was an All-Star snub. Still, especially for fans of the Memphis Grizzlies, this statement is beyond old. It used to be disrespect to Conley given the Grizzlies’ stellar team records at various points of this current decade and the lack of All-Stars hailing from Memphis. Now, it is a form of praise for “Captain Clutch.”

Historically, Mike Conley has been good for a few All-NBA votes, but a lot of it has been based upon team record. For example, the Memphis Grizzlies won a franchise record 56 games in the 2012-13 season and Conley earned a total of two All-NBA votes. In 2013-14, the squad won 50 games with Mike receiving four All-NBA votes. Then in the 2014-15 season when Memphis snagged 55 victories, “Captain Clutch” brought home one All-NBA vote.

Though these are not many All-NBA votes in total, the slight recognition is there. Consistency is present as long as the Memphis Grizzlies are winning. As soon as the Grizzlies’ seven-year playoff run came to a close in the 2017-18 season, so did the All-NBA votes for Memphis’ players, including Mike Conley. Some of the NBA’s most elite players could seemingly rack up All-NBA votes regardless of team rank or record, but that is not the case for “Mac-11.”

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The most current season is a big step forward for Mike when considering the All-NBA voting results. Though the team finished eighth-worst in the league, Conley tied the most All-NBA votes he has ever received for a season. Team success had forced voters to select “Mike Conley,” but now they are noticing him while Memphis remains near the bottom. Though it is just four total votes/points, it is the company in which he followed that really highlights his on-court excellence.

As previously stated, Mike Conley barely played in the 2017-18 season, but he bounced back in a major way. At the age of 31, he is now entering the offseason after one of his best individual seasons. That is huge for the Memphis Grizzlies regardless of their impending decision to keep or trade Mike prior to next season. His four All-NBA votes are icing on the take, which absolutely increases his trade value. It is padding to his statistical production, if you will.

While it is uncertain if Mike Conley will begin the 2019-20 NBA season in a Memphis Grizzlies uniform, it is good for the league to see him playing at full health. When he is at his best, he is one of the top point guards whether you see him as an NBA All-Star or a snub. Nonetheless, he is worthy of being in the conversation via All-NBA votes.

If Memphis is unable to find the perfect trade package for No. 11, it could be just as good of a decision to keep him than to trade him considering the way he produced in his 12th season.