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

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Mike Conley, Grizzlies hold off Magic

MEMPHIS (AP) ? Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins implored guard Mike Conley (FSY) to be more aggressive.

The fourth-year guard responded with 26 points and 11 assists to help Memphis beat Orlando 100-97 on Monday night. It was the first time he had more than 20 points and 10 assists in the same game.

"He told me I had to go for 30, and I tried, I tried." Conley said of Hollins. "I did what it took to win."
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http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2011-01-31-magic-grizzlies_N.htm

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYxGUAi3IK4"]YouTube - Grizzlies hold off Magic[/ame]
 
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Conley Hears Criticism
By: Stephen Litel Last Updated: 2/8/11

Mike Conley hears the criticism. He knows that there are some who believe the Grizzlies made a mistake by signing him to his last contract. He hears people believe he is not worth the money. He hears comments that the Grizzlies maybe would be better off trading him.

He also doesn't care.

"I try my best to stay away from it and not read it," Conley told HOOPSWORLD, "but it still gets brought to my attention from different people. Eventually you find out what people are saying. It just motivates me more to stay in the gym and get better because I can't control what's going on off the court like what people say. What I can control is what I do on the court."

Conley's teammate Zach Randolph, one of the most underrated players in the NBA, has been through similar situations and was able to give advice. As is usually the case, digging down to the most simplistic view of certain situations is best. Randolph believed that to be the case here and believes in his teammate.

"This league is based on criticism, but everybody in the league has something that they are good at, whether that's scoring the basketball, rebounding or playing defense," said Randolph. "Mike is one of those players who is putting everything together right now. His shooting is better, he's playing good defense, he's fast and he gets other guys open shots. He's just a great player."

In the face of criticism, Conley is having the best season of his four-year career, averaging 13.4 points, 6.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds. After receiving a confidence-boost from teammates, as well as understanding that criticism does not have to affect his play on the court, Conley reached back to his pre-NBA days. He reminded himself of his idols growing up and dedicated himself to putting into the work that would put him ahead in his quest to achieve a career year.

"Growing up, I really liked watching films of Isiah Thomas because I like little guards, especially now because I'm one of the smallest guards in the league," said Conley. "I really like the way Chris Paul plays too. Before I got to the league, he was somebody that I watched film on, watched a lot of his games and tried to learn how to play the position a little bit better."

When watching his idols, there was something Conley noticed, something that he could immediately incorporate into his game. After playing only a single season of college basketball, Conley was always one of the youngest players and felt he needed to achieve before he could lead, not understanding that some teams need a leader immediately.

"The lack of aggression, the lack of assertiveness and the lack of taking a bigger role on the team was my issue early on in my career," said Conley. "I learned that over the summer and tried to work a lot on my game, both physically and mentally. It's a lot of my maturity and my growth over the last couple seasons. I'm learning the NBA game because it's a lot different than it is in college. I've really taken it upon myself to be more aggressive, more assertive offensively and to take more command of the team. I'm just being more of a leader and it's really worked out for me so far."

Cont....
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Read more NBA news and insight: http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=18705#ixzz1DT4OZkfy
 
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Hoosiers Away from Home is a segment highlighting current college basketball players, who played high school basketball in Indiana. These regularly published articles feature previews, updates, and recaps on college basketball players native to Indiana.

Today we do things differently and take a look at an NBA player from Indiana, Mike Conley.

Act_Mike_Conley_Jr..jpg


Fans familiar with Indiana high school basketball history will have no trouble remembering the name Mike Conley Jr. The 6?1 point guard, along with fellow NBA player Greg Oden, led Lawrence North high school to three straight (?04, ?05, ?06) IHSAA 4A State Championships.

Conley and Oden went on to enjoy one successfull season in Columbus, Ohio, leading Ohio State to a runner-up finish in the 2007 NCAA Final Four. After the season, both Oden and Conley declared for the NBA Draft. Both were drafted in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft, Oden #1 to the Portland Trailblazers, and Conley #4 to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Conley has averaged double figure scoring in three of his four NBA seasons, including a career best 13.7 points per game so far this season. The fourth year point guard has started all 57 of the Grizzlies games, and is averaging a team-high 6.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Conley and the Grizzlies currently hold a 31-26 record, placing them at 9th in the Western Conference Playoff hunt, just one spot away from making the cut.
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http://www.indyhshoops.com/index.ph...-away-from-home-mike-conley-jr-february-2011/
 
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Conley confident leading Grizzlies
Mar 20, 2011
Written by Mike Wells

MEMPHIS -- The Memphis Grizzlies showed their faith in point guard Mike Conley in the fall when they signed him to a five-year, $45-million contract extension.

Now the former Lawrence North High School standout is doing his best to show the Grizzlies they made a wise financial decision.

Conley has Memphis on the brink of making the playoffs for the time since the 2005-06 season.

"I want to get this team to the playoffs and eventually get further and further each time we get there," Conley said.

Memphis entered Saturday's game against the Indiana Pacers with a game lead over the Utah Jazz for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Making the playoffs won't be easy for Memphis because seven of its final 12 games are against teams with winning records.

"It's been a journey," Conley said. "We've been through a lot of ups and downs, a lot of turmoil. It makes it that much greater when you have a chance to play in the playoffs like we do. We just have to finish out these last couple of weeks."

There were questions in the past about whether Conley, the No. 4 pick in the 2007 draft, was the right person to be Memphis' starting point guard after a rocky first couple of seasons.

Conley did enough last season to convince team officials that he could be the point guard they go forward with.

He's averaging a career-best 13.9 points, 6.6 assists and 1.7 steals in 35 minutes a game on a team that also features Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol.

"With the trust and faith they gave me by signing me, I just wanted to come out and be the leader and be the guy that spearheads this team in the right direction," Conley said. "I think I'm doing a good job. I just have to keep it up."
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http://www.indystar.com/article/201...2/SPORTS04/Conley-confident-leading-Grizzlies
 
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Point guard Mike Conley key to Memphis Grizzlies' push for NBA playoffs
By Ronald Tillery
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Posted March 27, 2011

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He is the only Grizzlies player to appear in all 73 games this season.

Mike Conley seems no worse for the wear.

If there is anyone, next to power forward Zach Randolph, who has provided the Griz with a steady hand and calming influence during a hotly contested playoff push, it's been the 23-year-old point guard.

And if there is anyone the Griz must count on, next to Randolph, to help keep a strong grip on the Western Conference's eighth seed over the next nine games, Conley is that guy, too.

Griz coach Lionel Hollins has delivered the message in a not-so-subtle way by playing Conley longer stretches than normal.

Conley's hearing it from teammates, too.

"I just told him we're going to need him to be aggressive, especially with Rudy out," Randolph said. "We need him to score. I think he's done a good job of putting pressure on other teams and that's what we need. When Mike is attacking, we're tough to beat."

Cont...
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http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/mar/27/conley-key-to-griz-finish/
 
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The Grizz appear poised to make the playoffs this season, thanks mostly to Mike and to Zach Randolph, about whom I admit to have been wrong - he's an effective, solid pro with outstanding production. He and Mike make a very nice 1-2 punch.

I have no reason to root for Memphis except Mike Conley. But I'm watching the Western Conference with great interest.
 
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Congrats to Mike on his first playoffs...

Memphis returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2006
Matt Moore
Apr 9, 2011

Paint the town blue. Memphis is back in the second season.

The Grizzlies clinched a playoff spot on Friday night with a win over the Kings. It wasn?t easy, with the Kings continuing their plucky play of late led by Marcus Thornton and Tyreke Evans. Those two on the break together is a terrifying combination. But the night belonged to the Grizzlies? unlikely heroes, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen, as it has since Rudy Gay was lost to a shoulder injury before the All-Star break.

Memphis is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006, since the days when Pau Gasol led a team that was slaughtered in the first round. Memphis? chances of a second-round appearance aren?t any better this time around. But they are likely to push for a few wins, and that?s a step in the right direction. The Grizzlies banked a lot of assets on making the playoffs, and now they?re in, as a dangerous team that relies on defense and speed.

The question will be if owner Michael Heisley will stick to his word regarding keeping the core of the team together. Mike Conley and Rudy Gay are locked in for $120 million over five years. Heisley made a combination of vague threats and veiled promises that he would keep the team together, if they made the playoffs. Now Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, and O.J. Mayo need extensions. That?s a lot of money for a small market. Playoff turnout and the team?s success there will likely be the next factor considered.

But that?s for the future. For now, Memphis has made the playoffs, and is the team no one wants to run into. No one wants to deal with Zach Randolph slipping in-between post-defenders, no one wants to try and keep the ball out of Tony Allen?s hands, no one wants to deal with the physical gambling the Grizzlies employ. They?re probably not going far. But they?re going to go down fighting.
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http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....o-the-playoffs-for-the-first-time-since-2006/

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXmCAiRc6rM"]YouTube - Sacramento Kings vs Memphis Grizzlies 04/08/11 Recap & Highlights[/ame]
 
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