Mike Conley Jr.

[nbrans]

Hope the mods don't mind, but I'm opening up this thread so that I don't keep splintering the Hibbert thread with Conley talk. The quote I'm responding to is in that thread, and maybe we can talk more about Conley here.

Your post loses credibility when you say that Conley doesn't have blazing quickness. That is crazy.

He's quick. But blazing? To me there's quick guys like Conley, but then there's QUICK, like Tony Parker, Leandro Barbosa and TJ Ford. I'd say those three guys are blazing. Conley is in the second tier with guys like Chris Paul and Ray Felton. Quick to be sure, quick enough to get in the lane, and quick enough to be an NBA point guard, but I still wouldn't call those guys blazing in the way that the fastest of the fast are.

And what makes me pause about Conley is that he doesn't have a jump shot (yet) to fall back on. TJ Ford already struggles because people just sag off of him, now you're talking about a guy who is not as quick as TJ Ford, and like Ford, can't shoot all that well. Guys are just going to sag off of him and make him shoot, and he doesn't even have Ford's blazing quickness to get into the lane. Yes, there's Tony Parker, but Parker has really great range out to 20 feet. He can shoot, he's just not a great three point shooter.

So I guess it comes down to whether or not you think Conley is going to develop a jumper. The TJ Fords and Brevin Knights of the world show that's not a sure thing.

 

[VF21]

Didn't they announce recently that he's NOT going to declare for the draft this year?

 

[nbrans]

Didn't they announce recently that he's NOT going to declare for the draft this year?

Yeah, that's what he says, I guess I always take those things with a grain of salt until the deadlines come.

PS: For instance, Chad Ford says Julian Wright might be changing his mind and could be declaring even after he said he was definitely going back to KU.

 

[tjobrien]

Hope the mods don't mind, but I'm opening up this thread so that I don't keep splintering the Hibbert thread with Conley talk. The quote I'm responding to is in that thread, and maybe we can talk more about Conley here.



He's quick. But blazing? To me there's quick guys like Conley, but then there's QUICK, like Tony Parker, Leandro Barbosa and TJ Ford. I'd say those three guys are blazing. Conley is in the second tier with guys like Chris Paul and Ray Felton. Quick to be sure, quick enough to get in the lane, and quick enough to be an NBA point guard, but I still wouldn't call those guys blazing in the way that the fastest of the fast are.

And what makes me pause about Conley is that he doesn't have a jump shot (yet) to fall back on. TJ Ford already struggles because people just sag off of him, now you're talking about a guy who is not as quick as TJ Ford, and like Ford, can't shoot all that well. Guys are just going to sag off of him and make him shoot, and he doesn't even have Ford's blazing quickness to get into the lane. Yes, there's Tony Parker, but Parker has really great range out to 20 feet. He can shoot, he's just not a great three point shooter.

So I guess it comes down to whether or not you think Conley is going to develop a jumper. The TJ Fords and Brevin Knights of the world show that's not a sure thing.

We have a fundamental disagreement and there is no reason to take this thread any further. I think he does have those quicks like Ford and Parker. Perhaps not as fast as Barbosa, who is insanely fast. Conley can get to the rim at will.

Besides, his father was a Gold Medalist in the Triple Jump. He has blazing speed...it's in his genes!

 

[Vlade4GM]

PS: For instance, Chad Ford says Julian Wright might be changing his mind and could be declaring even after he said he was definitely going back to KU.

awesome

 

[ParniValjak]

All I know is this kid has some genuine quickness and I would LOVE to have him as the PG on this team. He is a star in the making. I don't think he is a franchise player but heck, he will be one of the best PGs in the NBA.

Yes he doesn't have a consistent jumper but that can be worked on. He has basketball IQ, knows how to run the team, greater at getting to the basket and finishing once there and defensively he is very good.

I would definetly be happy with this pick. If we are lucky enough to get a top 3 pick, draft a big and then do a trade where we get a pick in the range to pick up Conley.

New big, Conley and Martin would be a nice foundation to build around IMHO. And if we can somehow do a sign and trade with Orlando for Darko Milicic we would be just about set.