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PG Mike Conley (1st Team All BIG, NBA All-Star, Oscar Winner, Minnesota Timberwolves)

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Conley at the point of Griz future
Rookie anxious to awaken offense in return from injury
By Ronald Tillery (Contact)
Wednesday, January 2, 2008

When the player introductions concluded and his teammates strolled toward the bench, there was rookie Mike Conley bouncing in place.

This wasn't simply youthful exuberance.

He wore a toothy grin and a Grizzlies uniform for the first time in six weeks.

This was the much-anticipated return of a player coach Marc Iavaroni is hitching the team's future to, and Conley may receive the keys sooner than you think.

There are no plans to bring Conley along slowly even as he's preparing to play for just the second time since suffering a slight muscle tear in his right shoulder. When the Grizzlies take on the Indiana Pacers tonight in Conseco Fieldhouse, Conley could see significant playing time.

Part of the immediate goal for a team that is off to an 8-22 start is to develop one of its key pieces in a healthy and hopping Conley.

Rest assured, Iavaroni is smiling too.

"He'll get some meaningful minutes," Iavaroni said. "We want him to go in there when the skillet is hot and see how he can do under the pressure of running the team. He's got an added pressure being the point guard. He's got an added pressure because we want to push the ball and use his abilities.

"Hopefully, I won't have to make a tough decision and I feel like it's compromising our ability to win the game because I feel very highly about him in terms of the future."
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Conley at the point of Griz future : Grizzlies : Commercial Appeal
 
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Conley shares needed speed
By Ronald Tillery (Contact)
Thursday, January 3, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS -- Until now, Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni has only cruised with his basketball version of a Ferrari.

But that changed Wednesday night when Iavaroni decided that it is time to go full throttle with rookie point guard Mike Conley, whom Iavaroni lightheartedly compared to the speedy Italian sports car on draft night.

Conley made his first NBA start, replacing veteran Damon Stoudamire, for the Grizzlies' road game against the Indiana Pacers.

Iavaroni was noncommittal when asked if the move marked the official transition to Conley taking over as the full-time starter at point job. He did guarantee this: "Mike Conley will start (Friday night) against Boston."
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Conley's maturity and poise are already impressive attributes to go along with his speed and court vision.

He collected seven assists before committing his only turnover. Even so, it was a traveling violation and had nothing to do with decision making. Conley, who finished with a game-high eight assists and a career-high six rebounds, would lead all rookies in assists (4.1 per game) but he hasn't played in enough contests to qualify.

Conley is, however, confident he can make an immediate impact.

"Just by making plays," he said. "Sometimes we get to a dead spot. We don't know what to do and we might go one-on-one. I think I can be the kind of guy who can come off a pick and get a guy an open look instead someone working hard trying to create his own shot. I think I can get easy shots for everybody."
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Conley shares needed speed : Grizzlies : Commercial Appeal

January 3, 2008
Conley plays efficiently in starting debut
Point guard will start Friday for Grizzlies
By Mark Montieth and Mike Wells
[email protected]

Mike Conley got his first NBA start Wednesday. In his hometown, no less.

It's possible he won't give it back.

The Lawrence North High School graduate helped Memphis break a five-game losing streak with an efficient, mature performance, finishing with seven points, eight assists, six rebounds, three steals and just one turnover in 35 minutes as the Grizzlies embarrassed the Indiana Pacers 90-72 at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni, however, promised only that Conley would start again Friday in Boston.

"For his first NBA start, he did a very nice job," Iavaroni allowed.
With the Grizzlies having won just nine of their first 31 games, it seems a good time for Conley -- the No. 4 pick in last June's draft -- to dive headfirst into his learning process.

Veteran Damon Stoudamire, who had started each of the 29 games he had played prior to Wednesday, was put on the inactive list. He will remain there for a while, team officials said.

"I don't expect anything," said Conley, who was playing in his second game since missing 20 with a torn muscle in his right shoulder. "I'm just going to go out and play my game."

He realizes the opportunity that stands before him, however.
"The possibility is there," he said. "You get a small window for opportunities sometimes, and you have to take it."
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Conley plays efficiently in starting debut | IndyStar.com
 
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Mike Conley: One could build a small wall with the bricks he tossed in the general direction of the basket ? 3-for-7 for seven points. Still, he's smart and tough at both ends of the court. He plays diligent defense (three steals) and makes exceptional passes (eight assists and only one turnover). He does have trouble driving the ball to the rim, but when he gets there he's an effective finisher. Conley is definitely a keeper.
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FOX Sports on MSN - NBA - Conley, Grizzlies need stronger supporting cast
 
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Griz stuck on their glue guy, rookie Conley
Monday, January 7, 2008

They all stood up and applauded him, clapped and hooted for Mike Conley.

No, not the fans. The other Grizzlies in the locker room before the game.

"Hey, it's the rook's first game at FedExForum!" said Grizzlies guard Mike Miller. "Everyone stand and cheer!"

So they stood and cheered. And they laughed.

"It was a joke," said Conley.

Not so much, as it turned out.

Because 192 days after the Grizzlies announced their pick of Conley with a draft party at FedExForum, the kid finally celebrated his first start in Memphis -- and his first playing time in Memphis -- by guiding his Grizzlies over the Heat, 101-94.

And, yes, they are his Grizzlies. His to direct for the next decade if things go as planned.

Miller and Pau Gasol may be the established scorers. Rudy Gay may be the budding star.

But Conley is the guy who will make it all go, the human joystick.

"He's the glue," said Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni.
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Griz stuck on their glue guy, rookie Conley : Columnists : Commercial Appeal
 
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Dispatch

NBA roundup: Grizzlies add to Heat's woes

Monday, January 7, 2008 3:04 AM

Associated Press

Grizzlies 101, Heat 94 -- Pau Gasol had 28 points and 13 rebounds, Mike Miller had 25 points, and Memphis sent visiting Miami to its seventh straight loss yesterday.
Rudy Gay had 22 points for Memphis, and former Ohio State player Mike Conley Jr. scored 11.
Ricky Davis had a season-high 24 points to lead Miami. Dwyane Wade, coming off the bench, finished with 18 points, but was 7 of 20 from the field.
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My God, what could've been. We might have witnessed the best college basketball team ever if Conley and Oden returned this season healthy. Goodness.......


Anyway I'm proud to have had Conley here for the time he was here and he continues to make us proud with his play for the Grizz. Look out for Memphis in the coming years.

On a side note, would it be possible to get Stoudemire off of Memphis' hands in Cleveland at this point?
 
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Bestbuck36;1061650; said:
On a side note, would it be possible to get Stoudemire off of Memphis' hands in Cleveland at this point?
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I'm not sure Stoudemire is anything the Cavs would be interested in, unless it helps us financially for the future.

Stoudemire is a shell of what he used to be. No quicks anymore, his jumper doesn't intimidate anyone anymore, and by all acoounts is a lousy teammate.

Let's just get Conley instead. :biggrin:
 
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SI

10.jpg


The Grizzlies' Michael Conley (left) and Juan Carlos Navarro were all fired up about Elvis' birthday this past Tuesday.
 
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Cleveland Cavaliers face Memphis Grizzlies, led by former Ohio State star Mike Conley Jr.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Mary Schmitt Boyer
Plain Dealer Reporter

Memphis, Tenn. -- Memphis Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni calls his point guard, Mike Conley Jr., "the motor."

"He's a joy to coach," Iavaroni said of the rookie from Ohio State. "He might be a little too coachable. He's always trying to do the right thing. For us, the right thing is really pushing the ball. He's the motor. It starts with the motor."

In an effort to kick-start his struggling Grizzlies, who were 10-26 going into Tuesday night's game with the Cavaliers, Iavaroni inserted Conley into the starting lineup eight games ago. The Grizzlies beat Indiana, 90-72, in their first game with Conley starting but won just one of the next six. Going into Tuesday's game, Conley was averaging 9.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists and shooting 40.9 percent since becoming a starter.

Asked if he was pleased with the results since making the lineup change, Iavaroni smiled.

"Yeah, when we won," he said. "It's very difficult for me to be happy with things when we're not getting the results that many times we've worked hard enough to earn."

He says the 20-year-old Conley, who missed 20 games with a shoulder injury, still has a lot to learn.

"There's a long laundry list, only because he's so young," Iavaroni said. "He's got to figure out all the different pick-and-roll defenses he's going to see. We're encouraging him to shoot shots. He's got to learn that veteran point guards in this league, especially in the West, are very good. . . . He's got to learn it's a long season, and there are a lot of physical guys who are going to try to post him up, beat him up and test him because he's a rookie."
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cleveland.com: Everything Cleveland

Rookie point guard Mike Conley scored a career-high 20 points and collected seven assists.

"It's tough to get over losing these games by a couple of possessions," Conley said. "We fought hard getting the game into overtime. ... But they just kept coming at us hard and got a few bounces to go their way."
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James gangs up on Griz : Grizzlies : Commercial Appeal

CONLEY IMPRESSIVE

Former Ohio State point guard Mike Conley finished with a season-high 20 points (12 above his average) and seven assists in 39 minutes.

It was a breakout performance for the No. 4 overall pick in last year?s draft -- who struggled early with a shoulder injury and a case of the rookie blues.

But he clearly has a firm grasp of how to run a team, and is one of those guys who just exudes winning.

The best news for Conley is he?s playing for a coach who knows a little something about using point guards effectively -- as Iavaroni came to Memphis after assisting Mike D?Antoni in Phoenix. And that Steve Nash guy who plays for the Suns seems to know what he's doing.

Conley could potentially become a similar player.
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ProBasketballNews.com - The voice of pro basketball
 
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SI

Top Rookies - 10 Mike Conley

After playing sparingly the first two months of the season (in part because of a shoulder injury), Conley replaced veteran Damon Stoudamire as the Grizzlies' starting point guard Jan. 2. While Stoudamire is now hoping for a new home, Conley settled in with five double-digit scoring efforts and three games with at least seven assists in his first seven starts.

 
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