Why Is Mike Conley So Underrated?

[PopAGat]

Because that's his calling card. Decent D, consistent, shooter.

Definitely not an excellent playmaker which is why everything runs through Gasol/Randolph. He's more overrated to me. He's not a guy who I want with the ball in his hands to make a big play.

So not being able to run the offense as your C, not being able to make the big plays really makes you a B level player. He doesn't have what it takes to hit that upper tier.

[bmurph128]

He's not flashy but has been consistently very good yet is rarely mentioned as one of the top point guards. Memphis has also been good consistently and I wonder if he were in a large market would he get his due. There's only three maybe four point guards I would take over him to start a team with. He's a hard worker, efficient, good defender, and is totally unselfish. He seems to be even a better person OFF the court.

Honestly at this point I don't think he is all that underrated. It's true that some fans don't appreciate him due to his lack of flashiness, but the only reason he's never been an all-star is that he's in the West, and the competition there is fierce.

It's pretty much agreed that he is an all-star level player.

It's not just the West.

He's not getting all star nods above Lowry/Wall/Kyrie/IT/Kemba.

I don't think it's agreed that he's an all star level player.

It's generally agreed that Marc Gasol is the best center in the NBA - or at the very least, a top 3 center. Given that, the reason Conley isn't viewed better is correlated to the lack of success the Grizzlies have had. While the West has been very strong for years, if Conley is a top PG, then that 1-2 punch should have been enough to have gotten them to the top of the West at some point in the past few years. They did make the conference finals once, but other than that year (and it was a sweep in the conference finals), they've only won two playoff series. And in all those years, the highest seed they've been is a 4.

He isn't an elite scorer or passer. He's a jack of all trades, master of none kind of guy - while he's developed well, his ceiling is a Billups kind of guy - which could be all star caliber - but he's making way too much money relative to his impact.

[Birth of the Cool]

He's not underrated. He's one of the highest paid players in the league and with that comes increased expectations and frankly he hasn't met expectations. Don't get me wrong, he's a great character guy, hard worker, and a very good PG but he isn't a top tier PG and he (and Gasol) lack leadership to the point where the new Coach has made some remarks about it this year. Also perhaps due to his contract he's been doing more hero ball this year (forcing up wild 3pts in clutch situations) and his defense is no longer consistently good (just like his teammate, a previously elite defender Tony Allen). Finally, his knack for injuries has also been a sore point about him.

He's had way too many games this year where he's had a fg% in the 0.300's...almost seems like feast or famine sometimes and his tenative PG play (not an elite playmaker, one can argue VC & Gasol both have better feel/vision for the game then Conley does) sometimes hurts the team..he's too comfortable with certain plays and players and doesn't see other potential scoring opportunities develop like say a Chris Paul does...heck, last year it was a bit of an eye opener seeing Mario Chalmers run the PG position for the team..you saw more fast breaks, more alley-oops with Chalmers.

I think he's a super solid PG but he needs to elevate his game to another level to be considered more seriously as an All-Star and to match the expectations of his salary....I think he definitely can do it though but maybe after all these years...you are who you are.

[Daddy 801]

Consistent "non athletic" players who don't have highlight reel type of plays are undervalued. Conley is the definition of that. He is a great player.

[JazzyPhinz]

Because he's not even a top 10 point guard in the league.

Name 10 guys better

Westbrook
Harden
Thomas
Paul
Curry
Lowry
Irving
Lillard
Wall
Kemba

Maybe Teague

Me personally I would take Conley over Kemba, Irving and Thomas.
Definitely take Conley over Teague.

[GuyverX]

He's not underrated. Conley's good but he's not an all-star type guy.