Who could be a first-time All-Star this year?

TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 05: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles during their game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on December 5, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

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MEMPHIS, TN – DECEMBER 14: Mike Conley #11 of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on against the Miami Heat on December 14, 2018 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies

Is this the year Mike Conley sheds the label of the best active player never to have made an All-Star Game?

Conley has fallen victim to a numbers game in recent years, as Stephen Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard have maintained a chokehold on the Western Conference backcourt spots. While Paul won’t be making the trip to Charlotte this year and Thompson isn’t necessarily a lock, Curry, Harden, Westbrook and Lillard shouldn’t be making vacation plans for mid-February.

Conley is the leading scorer for a Grizzlies team that’s already six wins away from surpassing its 2017-18 record. Much as his lengthy absence because of a heel injury last season underscored his importance to Memphis, his return this year has been a stark reminder of how he’s the engine that makes these Grit-n-Grind 2.0 Grizzlies go.

The 31-year-old’s per-game statistics don’t jump off the screen like a typical All-Star’s—20.6 points on 41.8 percent shooting, 6.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 triples in 34.1 minutes—but he’s fifth among point guards in ESPN.com’s real plus-minus, trailing only Harden, Curry, Kyrie Irving and Kyle Lowry. The Grizzlies are an outrageous 16.4 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor compared to when he’s on the bench, nearly double the next-closest mark on the team (Marc Gasol at plus-9.7).

On a raw box-score basis, Conley may have a tough time holding off his competition out West. But if coaches feel like giving out another career-achievement nod—much as they did with Goran Dragic last season—Conley could be in line for his All-Star Game debut.

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