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

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Mike is right on schedule IMO statistically his rookie year is right on par with Deron Williams and Tony Parker.

I also think their is a difference in going #4 to a team who completely decided to build around what you can and can't do ( Hornets/Paul) and to a team who expects you to only be a piece ( Grizzlies/Conley). Paul averaged 35 mpg as a rookie and was given all the chances in the world, he played big minutes when he was playing well and when he wasn't. Conley is around 24 mpg gets pulled for varies reasons. It's amazing to me that Daequan Cook has several games of 40+ minutes which Conley Jr has never had.
 
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Mike Conley, shown here with Utah's Deron Williams, has dealt with injuries and a whole bunch of losses in his rookie season.

Reality bites
Conley on the business end of NBA growing pains
Posted: Friday March 28, 2008

The size of Mike Conley's pond hasn't grown, exactly, but the quality of the fish sure has improved. They are swifter, stronger, leaner, meaner and much hungrier, enough so that Conley steals a nervous glance back at his tail every so often to see who's in the mood that day for seafood.

A year ago, Conley was a big fish in a big pond, the starting point guard for an Ohio State team that tore through the Big Ten schedule and the NCAA tournament with a pair of one-year wonders (Conley and even bigger fish Greg Oden). The Buckeyes, in what everyone knew was a magical, don't-blink kind of season, ran off 22 victories in a row from the middle of January through the end of March, the last in that streak coming over Georgetown in a national semifinal game at the Final Four. Led by the two freshmen stars, Ohio State shattered the school record of 27 victories by winning 35, and the 84-75 loss to repeat-champ Florida was only its fourth defeat all year.
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SI.com - Writers - Steve Aschburner: Rookie year a reality check for Conley - Friday March 28, 2008 3:39PM
 
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CPD

Conley wins, but team doesn't


Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Former Ohio State basketball standout Mike Conley had mixed emotions Tuesday about winning The Plain Dealer's second annual Celebrity Bracketology Challenge.
Conley, a rookie guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, is glad he edged Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore for the title, but wishes Memphis, his pick to win it all, would have prevailed against Kansas in the title game Monday night.
"I thought long and hard about [filling out my bracket]," Conley said Tuesday through a Grizzlies spokesperson. "I had Memphis in the championship [game], which is what I think put me over the edge. I wish Memphis would have won but I'm still happy about it."
@StoryAd
Conley's prize is an invitation to defend his title next March.




Cont...
 
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Griz PGs maturing with play : Grizzlies : Commercial Appeal

Griz PGs maturing with play

Conley, Lowry learn confidence on court

By Ronald Tillery (Contact)
Sunday, April 13, 2008


During training camp, particularly when the Grizzlies traveled to Spain, rookie Mike Conley regularly carried a flat-screen television while second-year player Kyle Lowry had a gaming system in tow.

The point guard tandem combined to provide off-court entertainment, and it is safe to say that the young floor generals have complemented each other on the floor ever since.

Continued...
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Conley points to an April 2 home game against the New York Knicks when he turned the corner. He scored 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting in 20 minutes during that game.

"That was the first game I came out aggressive from the start," Conley said. "From then, I started noticing what I could do on the court. I got over the hump. I was watching people too much instead of me being the guy who takes the open shot.

"As a rookie you try not to come in too aggressive. You want to get people involved. I'm one of the more unselfish guys you'll meet. Now that everybody knows me and I know them, it's a lot easier for me to go out there and get my shot with confidence."

That's not to say Conley has sacrificed his leadership and floor vision. He leads all rookies in assists with a team-high 4.1. Entering Saturday, Conley was averaging 12 points on nearly 50-percent shooting over the past five games. He also connected on at least three 3-pointers in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

"He's finishing better at the rim," Iavaroni said. "He's very quick to get to the rim."
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Father, son will battle at sports camp

The Daily World
Wed Jun 04, 2008

Helena-West Helena, Ark. -

Point guard Mike Conley, II will take on his legendary dad, triple jump world champion Mike Conley, I, following the upcoming Pro Youth Track & Field and Basketball clinics.

The guys will battle it out as coaches of two opposing youth teams, made up of local high school age kids. The games will be held after the youth basketball clinic in the Phillips Community College gymnasium, Saturday starting at 6 p.m.

Besides being an Olympic Gold and Silver medalist, the
senior Conley is also a 7-time Footlocker Slam Dunk finalist and owner of MAC Management Group, a sports management company based in Indiana. Conley has plans to move his corporate office To Fayetteville later this year.
?I think my team will be able to take him ?no problem,? says the younger Conley about coaching against his father. ?I can?t wait to show him who really has the skills,? the point guard jokes.

But says, dad, ?There?s a lot to be said for wisdom and experience. You?ll see what I mean when my team takes you and your guys to school Saturday night,? Conley winks.
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Father, son will battle at sports camp - Helena, AR - Helena Daily World
 
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Conley at heart of trade talk
Griz don't want guard included in draft deals
By Ronald Tillery (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Wednesday, June 25, 2008

The Grizzlies are working to acquire the No. 2 overall pick Thursday in the NBA draft, but they aren't willing to sacrifice point guard Mike Conley.

The inclination to keep Conley, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2007 draft, was characterized Tuesday by those familiar with the discussions as an organizational decision -- meaning ownership, management and the coaching staff are opposed to a deal that would send Conley as part of a package to the Miami Heat in exchange for the presumed right to draft forward Michael Beasley of Kansas State at No. 2.

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Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal files

Guard Mike Conley has been mentioned in a number of trade rumors, but many within the organization say they want to keep the young guard in Memphis.

Griz general manager Chris Wallace couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday but has said the franchise is exploring all options as it prepares to make the fifth pick.

The first pick is expected to be University of Memphis guard Derrick Rose by Chicago.

The Griz and Heat have talked for weeks about possibly swapping first-round picks. Reportedly, Miami originally sought a deal that would give them Mike Miller, Kyle Lowry and the Grizzlies' No. 5 pick. The Griz countered with a variation of that trade, only they prefer to substitute the No. 5 selection with their No. 28 pick.
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Conley is a player the franchise is counting on to develop alongside Rudy Gay on a team starved for talent. He has to develop a consistent outside shot, but the assertiveness he displayed toward the end of his rookie season provided reason for optimism.

Conley began to improve his effectiveness in pick-and-roll situations and finish stronger at the rim. His quickness and athleticism are considered obvious tools for helping the Griz improve on defense.
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Conley at heart of trade talk : Grizzlies : Memphis Commercial Appeal
 
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Buckeye Stars Basketball Camp: Conley offers words of encouragement
Former OSU players the main attraction at camp
Thursday, July 31, 2008
By Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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Courtney Hergesheimer Dispatch
Mike Conley Jr. told campers they can achieve anything with persistence and dedication.

Mike Conley Jr. bent over in front of a dozen campers almost as tall as he is and dribbled a basketball around and between his legs, in a figure-8. All the while, he kept his eyes on them.

They tried to be like Mike, but it wasn't easy. When they took their eyes off the ball, it often hit their feet and rolled away.

Conley told them the only way to keep that from happening was to practice the drill every day. "Then," he said, "you can play basketball and not worry about dribbling the basketball out of bounds."

Later, the former Ohio State point guard said he still does the drill every day as a pro with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA.

"Even though I can do it in my sleep, I feel I don't want to not do it and then lose it or something," he said. "I don't want to lose something I've worked so hard on."

That was part of his message to 200 kids, ages 7 to 18, attending the Buckeye Stars Basketball Camp, a three-day affair at Worthington Kilbourne High School. It features Ohio State's three first-round NBA draft picks last year: Greg Oden on Tuesday, Conley yesterday and Daequan Cook today.

"Always remember to never give up and keep trying hard," said Daniel Flores, 11, of Columbus, one of 50 campers sponsored through the Boys and Girls Clubs of Columbus.

Conley spent three hours at the camp getting his picture taken with the youth, autographing the photographs and helping coaches lead drills.

"I already ran a camp down in Memphis with (Grizzlies teammate) Rudy Gay and I had to do one in Ohio and give back to the kids," said Conley, whose No. 1 Ohio State jersey was worn by more campers than any other. "I was in the same position they're in not too long ago. I really appreciated it when I was a kid and I want them to have the same kind of opportunity."
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One of Conley's goals is to graduate from Ohio State even though he left after his freshman year. He returned in June to take one class during the first summer session while also playing for Memphis' team in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and continuing his offseason training.

"It'll take a long time," he said, "but I'm going to stick with it."

He is sharing a rental with Oden, who also returned to school while training for his rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers. Oden missed last season after having knee surgery.

"He's the same dude, sleeping all the time and doing nothing," Conley joked of his former high school teammate and college roommate. "I'm like, 'Hey, let's go here,' and he's like, 'Aw, I just want to go to bed, Mike. I just want to relax.'

"That's him. He hasn't changed at all. But that's good to see because I know a lot of people can change with the different things that are thrown at us."
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BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Buckeye Stars Basketball Camp: Conley offers words of encouragement

Conley, who shot .304 from three-point range at Ohio State and .330 as an NBA rookie, shot .444 outside the arc during three games with Memphis in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

He said he worked on his jump shot throughout his rookie year with the help of former Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Mark Price, whom Memphis hired as a shooting coach before last season. Conley said Price helped him turn into more of a jump shooter than the set shooter he was in his only season at Ohio State.

“The main thing he was telling me was to use my legs,” Conley said. “I didn’t jump at all in college and that’s why I was inconsistent.

“I started to get into a routine. I’m shooting 600 threes a day now (with a goal of making 400) and it’s carrying over. I’m just trying to improve on that every day.”

Conley said Ohio State put an NBA three-point arc on its practice courts for the summer.

- Conley said he’ll return to Memphis in late August to begin preparing for his second season in the league. Training camp will start about a month later.

“I feel much more comfortable” heading into this season, he said. “Last year I was always nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know how hard guys played. I was trying to play 120 mph because I didn’t want to look like I wasn’t playing hard, I wanted to keep up.

“Now I know the game’s not like that. You don’t have to play 120 mph. You can kind of pace yourself at times.

“You learn the little things about the league that you need to learn. I learned those and I’m going to try to improve on them and just try to get more intelligent about the game. You have to be smart about how you play.”


Posted by Bob Baptist on July 30, 2008 9:58 PM | Permalink
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http://blog.dispatch.com/hoopsscoops/2008/07/conley_on_crater_etc.shtml#more
 
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Buckskin86;1219032; said:
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/liv...ey31.ART_ART_07-31-08_C1_C3AT5DP.html?sid=101http://blog.dispatch.com/hoopsscoops/2008/07/conley_on_crater_etc.shtml#more
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?I?ve gotten to play a lot with the guards and help them out as much as I can, tell them what I know and what they need to be ready for,? he said. ?I can see them improving every time I play against them and doing things I wouldn?t have been doing at the (same) time. I?m just trying to get them to do it earlier because I was kind of a late bloomer in college basketball. I want them to be able to do it from day one, so I?m trying to get in their heads, and they?re doing a pretty good job."



Too bad it took Mike so long to bloom. It would've been nice to have him contribute more early on in his career :tongue2:
 
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The Portland Trail Blazers have apparently inquired about the availability of former Ohio State standout Mike Conley, with the obvious intent of reuniting the Memphis point guard with former high school and college teammate Greg Oden.

Ronald Tillery writes on his Memphis Commercial-Appeal blog that Portland is willing to part with sixth man Travis Outlaw, but noted that it's not likely the Grizzlies would trade Conley.

"Trading Conley would put the Griz back at square one, again searching for a dynamic point guard to compensate for the loss of the GOOD Jason Williams," Tillery wrote.

He added that if they did trade him, they probably would have to receive more than the 6-foot-9 forward in return.
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The Columbus Dispatch : Bob Hunter commentary: Rumblings
 
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NBA 2009 Preview: Memphis Grizzlies
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Top Playmaker: Mike Conley wasn't handed the starting point guard position last year, but by the end of the season he had earned it. He'll be a double-double guy in 2008-09.
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4. Mike Conley: Few players in the NBA are as likeable as Mike Conley. His unassuming personality immediately puts you at ease and he's very down-to-earth. Once the game starts, however, he's as fierce a competitor as you'll find. We expect great things from this young man.
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Top Six Players in Need of a Trade
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By: Jon Mladic Last Updated: 9/18/08 6:58 AM ET | 5920 times read


Much of an player's production level is based on his situation. Does he have complementary teammates? Is he in the right offensive system? Is he a useful member of the team's roster?
When the answer to these types of questions starts to more frequently become "no," it's time for a trade. For the player and the franchise, a fresh start is best. Here are six players that need to be traded this year:

6. Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies. Conley is a talented point guard. The problem for the Grizzlies is that they also have Kyle Lowry and O.J. Mayo. Instead of wasting a skilled player's season on the bench, the Grizzlies will trade either Conley or Lowry - they still need plenty of pieces on their roster, and should be able to fill at least one hole in return for the talent he offers.

Continued......
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