Mike Conley, Utah Jazz. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
As the Utah Jazz have gone on a huge winning streak with Mike Conley sidelined, many have questioned whether the veteran is washed up from his prime days. Here are three reasons why I believe Conley will come back stronger.
It’s no secret that the biggest offseason addition last summer for the Utah Jazz was supposed to be Mike Conley. After the rumored deal failed to materialize at the 2019 trade deadline, Utah went out and got their guy ahead of the 2019 NBA draft. And boy, did Conley cost a pretty penny.
Utah gave up Grayson Allen, Kyle Korver, Jae Crowder, as well as two draft picks in order to acquire the Memphis star. Dennis Lindsey has compared Memphis giving up Conley to the Jazz trading Stockton in his prime, because that is how beloved Conley was to the city of Memphis.
He spent 12 years as a Grizzly becoming the franchises all-time leader in games played, points, assists, and steals. Marc Gasol often was accredited as the team’s best player during the grit and grind era, earning the accolades of All-Star appearances the the Defensive Player of the Year trophy; meanwhile Conley quietly became a two-way star, being able to score at all three levels with a deft floater to shoot over tall 7-foot rim protectors, all while playing tough defense.
While all of his teammates from the grit and grind era started going their separate ways, Conley was the one who stayed the longest. He watched as Gasol went on to win his first NBA title with the Toronto Raptors, and even joined the champagne celebration with his old friend via FaceTime. That made Conley want an NBA championship all the more.
It was a no-brainer for the Utah Jazz to acquire a guy like Mike. He was supposed to be the Jazz’s best point guard since Deron Williams, create a terrifying pick and roll game with Rudy Gobert, and form the best backcourt in both his and Donovan Mitchell‘s careers.
Heck, Conley was so valuable that it even caused the Jazz to put the kibosh on the old headband policy.
From the opening tip of the 2019-20 season, Mountain Mike has looked like he is over the hill. Conley shot 1/16 in his official Jazz debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and followed it up with a 3/11 shooting night against the Lakers.
He bounced back with 12 points and eight assists in a blowout win against the Sacramento Kings, and even looked like he found his form in the third quarter versus the Los Angeles Clippers in late October. Over the next 16 games he had some ups and downs, including eight games of shooting under 40 percent from the field and six contests shooting less than 30 percent from the three.
In spite of all of his struggles, both Conley and the Jazz organization have held their heads high.
Even opposing teams have still respected Conley as if he was his old self. When the Los Angeles Clippers came to town, Doc Rivers was positive that Mike would get back on track.
In contrast, some of the doubters of Conley have said this:
Even Tim McMahon of ESPN, who I consider to be a voice of reason, suggested that Mike Conley come off the bench when he returns to injury so he has the ball in his hands more.
Here are three reasons (not excuses) why I believe Mike Conley will bounce back and ultimately help the Jazz win the trade they made last June.
old headband policy</a>.</p>
<p>From the opening tip of the 2019-20 season, Mountain Mike has looked like he is over the hill. Conley shot 1/16 in his official Jazz debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and followed it up with a 3/11 shooting night against the Lakers.</p>
<p>He bounced back with 12 points and eight assists in a blowout win against the Sacramento Kings, and even looked like he found his form in the third quarter versus the Los Angeles Clippers in late October. Over the next 16 games he had some ups and downs, including eight games of shooting under 40 percent from the field and six contests shooting less than 30 percent from the three.</p>
<p>In spite of all of his struggles, both Conley and the Jazz organization have held their heads high.</p>
<p>Even opposing teams have still respected Conley as if he was his old self. When the Los Angeles Clippers came to town, <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1189602494457901056" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doc Rivers was positive</a> that Mike would get back on track.</p>
<p>In contrast, some of the doubters of Conley have said this:</p>
<ul>
<li>The Utah Jazz should have kept <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rubiori01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Ricky Rubio</a>.</li>
<li>The Utah Jazz should have signed <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/russeda01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">D’Angelo Russell</a> or <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/walkeke02.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Kemba Walker</a> this past summer.</li>
<li>The Utah Jazz should actively shop Conley on the trade market</li>
</ul>
<p>Even Tim McMahon of ESPN, who I consider to be a voice of reason, <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://espn700sports.com/interviews/espns-tim-macmahon-tries-to-help-the-utah-jazz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested that Mike Conley come off the bench</a> when he returns to injury so he has the ball in his hands more.</p>
<p>Here are three reasons (not excuses) why I believe Mike Conley will bounce back and ultimately help the Jazz win the trade they made last June.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Slow starts </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-80730 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1185528046.jpeg" alt="Utah Jazz" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1185528046.jpeg 3200w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1185528046-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Mike Conley, Utah Jazz. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Mike Conley and slow starts</h3>
<p>Over the past two (now three) seasons the Jazz have established a common trend: they <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://thejnotes.com/2019/09/12/utah-jazz-avoid-another-slow-start-2019-20/">get off to a rough start</a> but find their footing down the home-stretch of the regular season.</p>
<p>In 2017-18, there was a lot of adjustment of finding the leading scorer to replace Gordon Hayward as well as knee injuries to Rudy Gobert that cursed the Jazz early. Fortunately they found their Hayward replacement with rookie Donovan Mitchell and caught back up in the playoff picture.</p>
<p>In 2018-19, Donovan Mitchell had a foot injury lingering from the 2018 playoffs that affected his offseason training and early season’s play. In addition to that, the Jazz had a travel-heavy schedule in the opening months, where they basically lived in a hotel for a month.</p>
<p>In the past two seasons in which Conley played a decent amount, he’s gotten off to a slow start individually but finds a way to turn it around by the end of the 82 game marathon. Take a look at these numbers:</p>
<p><strong>2018-19:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>20.4 points on 41/34/81 shooting splits first 20 games.</li>
<li>21.4 points on 44/37/85 shooting splits the last 50 games</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>2017-18:</strong> only played in 12 games thanks to a season ending foot injury</p>
<p><strong>2016-17:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>17.9 points on 41/41/86 shooting splits the first 20 games</li>
<li>21.4 points on 47/40/85 shooting splits the last 49 games</li>
</ul>
<p>So far in this 2019-20 season, the Utah Jazz have held up their end of the deal for coming on strong after a slow start. Their net rating has jumped to ninth in the NBA, and over the past ten games they own the second best net rating in the association.</p>
<p>Now it’s Conley’s turn to turn some heads in this stretch run. When he returns to the court, it will be his 23rd game of the season which falls right in line with when he turned it around the previous two seasons.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Basketball I.Q </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-80729 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1180641017.jpeg" alt="Utah Jazz" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1180641017.jpeg 3200w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1180641017-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Mike Conley, Utah Jazz. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Smart Player, Smart Coach</h3>
<p>Before the Utah Jazz front office pulled the trigger to acquire Mike Conley, I’m positive they scoured over hours of film to make sure he could fit in Quin Snyder’s system.</p>
<p>On paper, it works out great. You pair Mike Conley, who was in the 80th percentile as a pick and roll ball handler in the 2018-19 season with Rudy Gobert, who was in the 93rd percentile as a rolling big man in that same year.</p>
<p>You pair Conley, who was in the 80th percentile for spot up shooting, with Donovan Mitchell, a scoring guard that thrives when he’s slashing to the hoop.</p>
<p>For comparison Rubio was in the 30th percentile on spot ups, and 38th percentile as pick and roll ball handler last season. Ideally this move was supposed to open up space for Gobert and Mitchell and take the scoring pressure off of their shoulders.</p>
<p>Conley was on-board for the Jazz’s title run right from the get-go.</p>
<p>via <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27149782/conley-embraces-championship-talk-jazz-intro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN.com</a></p>
<blockquote><p>“I think we all see that it’s an opportunity for all of us to have that aspiration,” Conley said. “We all want to win a championship. And especially myself, it’s something I’ve really been looking for my whole career and have gotten close and never been able to push through.</p>
<p>“And now it seems like it’s the time — this year especially, there’s not too many teams with three big-time, top-five, top-10 guys on a team. It’s kind of split up, so it’s a great opportunity for the Jazz to just be ourselves, continue to improve as the season goes on, and we’ll be there at the end of the year knocking at the door.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Although this acquisition hasn’t gone totally according to plan so far, there is way too much basketball I.Q on the team for this not to work.</p>
<p>The Jazz have already proved several times this season they have the ability to learn and adapt. When they posted the worst defensive rating in the preseason, Quin Snyder focused only on defense for the next week in practice sessions. They opened up the regular season silencing critics that their elite defense would disappear, holding their first five opponents to less than 100 points.</p>
<p>When they lost two close games to the Kings and Clippers thanks to a lack of rebounding effort, <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://www.ksl.com/article/46669188/i-told-them-they-can-fine-me-mike-conley-makes-deal-so-he-doesnt-miss-any-more-box-outs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conley was the leader</a> by example to fix that flaw. He said “I told them they can fine me $100 every time I miss a box-out from now on”, and followed up his talk with six rebounds the following game.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the Jazz <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/13/utah-jazz-winning-without-donovan-mitchell-great-sign/">found a way to win without Donovan Mitchell</a> on Sunday night in Washington D.C, and there’s no reason to think they won’t adapt with Conley back in the rotation.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Desire to Win </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-80731 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2477,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1191451975.jpeg" alt="Utah Jazz" width="3200" height="2477" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1191451975.jpeg 3200w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1191451975-768x594.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Conley is a winner.</h3>
<p>At 32 years old, time is running out for Mike Conley to win a ring. Him being traded out of Memphis only made sense for both sides, despite the long relationship they had.</p>
<p>Memphis knew that <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/moranja01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Ja Morant</a> would likely be available for them to draft second overall, and had to open up playing time at point guard for Morant to develop into a star. Conley needed a place where he could help a playoff team get over the hump into the NBA Finals.</p>
<p>He got what he wanted in his trade to Utah. The Jazz had made the playoffs and cracked 50 wins despite having a young roster and a lot of non-shooting threats on the perimeter. They had shown potential of keeping up with the best in the NBA, but just couldn’t get over the hump.</p>
<p>I’m sure Conley knows that in order for the Jazz to reach their true ceiling this season, he has to be more like his Memphis self. In the 12 games the Jazz have won with Conley playing, Mountain Mike has averaged 15.3 points, 4.7 assists, and shot 40 percent from the field. In the nine losses with Conley playing, he’s averaged 12 points, 4.3 assists, and shot 32 percent from the field.</p>
<p>That clear difference should fuel Mike’s motivation to turn it up the final few months of the season. Given that he has a huge contract it’s very unlikely he gets traded. His best bet for a championship will likely be this spring.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Magic coach Steve Clifford, on the importance of Mike Conley returning to the Jazz: “They have more offense than any team in the league.”</p>
<p>— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://twitter.com/tribjazz/status/1207096384064651264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>December 18, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/17/utah-jazz-mike-conley-redeem/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>Mike Conley will have to make the sacrifice of playing off the ball and letting Donovan Mitchell take on more of the point guard duties, but I believe he’ll be up for the challenge. He’s shown great humility all year and comes with the reputation of being a team player.</p>
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<p>Once he does figure out how to excel playing off the ball, Donovan Mitchell will become an even-more dangerous floor general and the Jazz will have enough talent to compete with anybody in this league.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">