Memphis Grizzlies: 5 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season

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5. Mike Conley makes the All-Star team

This feels, by far, like the most plausible scenario on this list. In fact, we set it as a goal for him in our summer goal-setting series. Mike Conley has All-Star talent. The Western Conference just has too many good guards that he’s competing with. Here’s the list:

Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, James Harden, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, Gary Harris, Andrew Wiggins, Devin Booker and Eric Bledsoe (apologies if I missed anyone).

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Conley is better than a lot of those guys, but not the first half of the group, and there are only so many spots on the All-Star roster. Add in the fact that the Grizzlies’ traditionally slow pace and Conley’s willingness to make sure his teammates are happy with the quantity of looks they’re getting both keep Conley’s counting stats lower than many of the West’s guards playing in turbocharged offenses, and things become particularly daunting.

Conley, for example, posted better shooting percentages from the field and behind the 3-point line than Damian Lillard did last year, but Lillard’s 27.0 points per game mark jumps off the page at you in a way that Conley’s 20.5 per game does not. Portland simply asks Lillard to do more within the structure of their offense, and that leads to eye-popping levels of production.

Don’t get me wrong, Lillard is crazy talented. If he lands on the All-Star team, he deserves to be there. This is just a suggestion that Conley may be an equally, albeit differently, talented player. If the Grizzlies are in the playoff mix come All-Star selection time, that will inevitably mean Conley is playing well, and that may open the door for him.

Unfortunately, for Conley, the more likely outcome may be that Marc Gasol receives the honor instead.

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