Yeah that might be true. We'll have to what and see how he bounces back next year. Really just further highlights how far down the totem pole Lin is right now. He's not a top 15 pg.
Lawson tore it up all season. He was the main reason for Denver's success this season. He was playing hurt down the stretch and in the playoffs with Plantar Fasciitis. Holiday is a stud. Great size at 6'4 and 205 yet he's a legit PG not a shooting guard trying to play PG. 17.5ppg/8 assists/4 rebs and he's nearly 3 years younger than Mike Conley. I'm not hating on Conley but he's in the perfect situation in Memphis where he has 2 dominant big men (by today's NBA standards of course) and lockdown wings in Allen/Prince so Conley doesn't have to do too much and he can stay within himself and looks better than he really is because of his supporting cast. Anytime you play with really good big man the game becomes so much easier for a PG. You put Lawson or Holiday in place of Conley and the Grizzlies become much more dynamic because of their explosiveness and ability to score in addition to the other things they're better than Conley at. If you put Conley on the Nuggets or Sixers he wouldn't be getting the attention he's getting now. Conley is the definition of "solid". Nothing more nothing less.
My argument isn't that he was overpaid. In fact, I think he's underpaid now. At the time, however, he was a RFA, and the Grizzlies bid against themselves rather than letting the market decide his value. I can't imagine he would have gotten the same money elsewhere.
Holiday was completely mediocre last year when he wasn't the number one option. Who's to say if Conley were given more freedom he wouldn't put up similar stats to Holiday? He's the 3rd option on the Grizzlies and prior to this season was consistently a 4th option on offense. You can't just look at raw stats and determine who is better. It's so hard to compare NBA non superstar players.
Conley is a beast, period. The guy is probably the most effective PG when it comes to running offensive sets, in a long time.
You just proved my point. Holiday is good enough to be a main option. Furthermore, the only thing mediocre is averaging 6.1 assists per game when you have offensive big men such as Randolph and Gasol at your disposal in addition to Rudy Gay for part of the season. As a 3rd or 4th option on offense... shouldn't you be better than 6 assists per game as a point guard?
So you're telling me Holiday would be a 1st option on the Grizzlies? It's all about the system! The Griz system doesn't need Conley to be a 1st option because they play inside-out and are not heavily reliant on the PG scoring. If the griz were less talented then Conley's production would rise. Holiday would not be given free reign like he has if he were coached under Hollins.
I never said Holiday would be a 1st option. I clearly said if you replace Conley with Holiday the Grizzlies would become much more dynamic because of Holiday's explosiveness and ability to score. Furthermore, Holiday is younger, bigger, stronger, more athletic the better scorer, passer the better rebounder. The better player. If the Griz were less talented then Conley's assists numbers are going to rise? O'rly? Tell me more how that works. 6 assists is pretty damn mediocre for a 3rd or 4th offensive option pass first PG. And like I said Conley is in a good system so he can play to his strengths where he doesn't have to force things so it makes him look better than he really is.
Wow, Mike Conley is ranked above a LOT of great players this year in ESPN's top 500 players. He is between 35 and 30 with the list coming out. This surprises me.
You have one of the most accurate monikers of all time. OF ALL TIME but in all seriousness, good call on Conley. I didnt think much of him until the playoffs last year. He's really stepped his game up and shown the world he's a 2nd tier pg. Definitely one of the best defensive PG's out there.
Conley's RAPM stats are just amazing from last year, that's for sure: Third among point guards overall with a RAPM of +5.1 Defensively he is t1 with Rubio among point guards with +2.0 Offense, not too shabby +3.1 "No-stats all-star PG"? :grin:
Mike Conley is my favorite player for the grizzlies. Last year, he thrust himself in the conversation as a top 5 pg. This year he'll leave no doubt in anybody's minds, including on this board. Conley, much like the grizzlies themselves, are getting better and better each and every year. The grizzlies always make smart plays, and they rarely beat themselves. The grizzlies are going to prove last year wasn't a fluke.
Conley's game reminds me of Rajon Rondo, get the ball inside to the bigs and let them create offense. Lightning fast off the dribble, but not a real threat from outside. No need to step out to the arc to defend him, just can sit back and defend his drive or pick n' roll.
So, which one of Rose, Curry, Deron, Paul, Westbrook, Irving, and Wall, all point guards who are above Conley in said NBA rank, is Conley going to surpass? Also, I'm fairly sure Lillard and Rondo haven't been picked either.
