Why Mike Conley should have made the 2017 NBA All-Star team
He’s playing at a career-best level
Pick a metric, any metric. Almost regardless of which one you choose, Conley will be performing at a career-best level in 2016-17.
For those beholden to per-game production, the 18.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 triples Conley has averaged through his first 35 outings all represent career highs. He’s also setting new personal bests in player efficiency rating (21.1), true shooting percentage (57.1), Win Shares per 48 minutes (.178) and Box Plus-Minus (4.6), despite posting a career-high usage rate (25.9), too. Whereas some players struggle to maintain their efficiency with an increased number of possessions, Conley has thrived in such a role.
As ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe noted when discussing his All-Star reserve picks, Conley is living up to the massive five-year, $153 million contract he signed with Memphis this past summer:
"Conley has always played with a certain caution. Some of that comes from the level of craft in his game — the change-of-pace dribbles and crossover moves he uses to prod defenses before finding something he likes. Some of it reflected a reluctance to be selfish, and take over. That is gone. Conley understands the Grizzlies need him to assert control over games, and he has the confidence to do it. He has amped up his scoring without sacrificing his always-feisty defense."
Here’s some additional food for thought: Conley ranks 10th league-wide among point guards in ESPN.com’s Real Plus-Minus metric (which does not include James Harden at that position). Among the Western Conference compatriots who rank ahead of him, Chris Paul likely missed out on an All-Star spot because of the thumb injury that’s expected to sideline him until March, George Hill has played only 24 of a possible 48 games, Patrick Beverley isn’t putting up anywhere near All-Star-caliber numbers and Eric Bledsoe plays for one of the league’s biggest doormats.
CP3 was an even more egregious snub than Conley, but in a perfect world, Paul should have earned a reserve bid and Conley should have been his injury replacement, as ESPN.com’s Kevin Pelton advocated.
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