NBA Draft: Each team’s greatest draft pick of all-time

Greatest draft pick in Memphis Grizzlies history: Mike Conley

Mike Conley might seem out of place on a list filled with legends of the game and Hall of Famers both present and future. The 12-year veteran is still searching for his first All-Star invitation, but what he’s meant to the Memphis Grizzlies organization can’t be understated.

In the time that the Grizzlies migrated south to Memphis prior to the 2001-02 season and Conley’s arrival as the fourth overall pick in the 2007 Draft, the team had three consecutive playoff appearances with not a single win to show for it.

Along with Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Tony Allen, Conley helped spearhead a basketball revolution in the state of Tennessee. The quartet of underdogs led the Grizzlies to seven straight playoff appearances, including the franchises one and only appearance in the conference finals back in 2013.

Through it all, Conley was a consistent presence in handling the rock, never one to fret in the heat of a big moment and always one to step up to the challenge. He averaged16.5 points and 6.7 assists per game in 56 postseason outings.

The Grizzlies were a team nobody wanted to face in the playoffs for their physical and unrelenting style of play at both ends. Their point guard was a hounding defensive presence who simply kept things difficult for opposing guards no matter how overmatched he may have been from a talent perspective.

It’s always interesting to see how each of the NBA’s 30 franchises sets a different bar when it comes to overall success. Some set their eyes on a championship and nothing less. Less established teams find value in a consistent improvement year after year. Memphis still doesn’t have a championship to its name, but thanks in part to Mike Conley, it has a number of fond playoff memories to look back on.