When we last saw Mike Conley in a game that counted he was huffing and puffing through of a flu-addled 2-13 shooting night comprised of short jumpers and contorted lay-up attempts.
Up to that point, Conley had been, arguably, the Grizzlies’ most consistent performer in last spring’s first-round playoff series against the Clippers. But, in Game 7, he didn’t have it. Yet Conley was forced to play nearly 40 minutes anyway. Even a dramatically diminished Conley was more likely to safely transport the ball down the floor against defensive pressure than the team’s other alternatives.
This was an illness-influenced, spotlight-focused representation of much of Conley’s season. It was his best yet in many ways. He showed more consistency and leadership than ever before. He notched a career-high 16.8 Player Efficiency Rating (15 is league average, 20 is All-Star territory). His trademark blend of offensive steadiness and defensive dynamism continued to flower, resulting in the league’s eighth best pure point rating — a stat devised by ESPN’s John Hollinger to gauge playmaking — and the second highest steal average in the NBA. Conley and the Clippers’ Chris Paul were the league’s only point guards to actually register more steals than turnovers on the season.
But Conley seemed to wear down.
Mike Conley, Shooting Percentage by Quarter (NBA.com/Stats)
1 — 47%
2 — 49%
3 — 46%
4 — 29%
The Grizzlies made a big mistake prior to the season, jettisoning second-year point guard Greivis Vasquez (who was among the league’s most improved players in New Orleans, with a five-point leap in his own PER) and entrusting the back-up point guard spot to a pair of rookies, Jeremy Pargo and Josh Selby, neither of whom proved ready. This forced O.J. Mayo into minutes at the spot, where he confirmed, conclusively, that he doesn’t quite have the ball-handling ability to log significant minutes at the position.
