Portland Trail Blazers: Ranking the top 10 point guards in the NBA

Mike Conley persists as one of the league’s most underrated players, even after a decade of elite production. So underrated in fact, all it took to get him in the trade market was the No. 23 pick (Darius Bazely), a future first-round pick and cap filler.

While Conley’s exit may signal the death of the ‘Grit-n-Grind’ era in Memphis, his time in Utah may help usher in a new era success for another franchise. Another shot creator and ball handler next to franchiser cornerstone Donovan Mitchell should be a mutually beneficial relationship.

Last season, Conley posted an impressive average of 21.1 points, 6.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Playing in a system with more mouths to feed might hurt his box score statistics, but should do wonders for his behind the scenes analytics that show he’s contributing to the team’s win column.

A reduced burden on his shoulders should help his efficiency and hopefully, his longevity. Considering he has over 27,500 NBA minutes on his legs, managing his work load and preventing a serious injury (like his season-ending heel injury in early 2018) will be key to unlocking the potential of this Jazz team.

Cracking the All-Star guard rotation in the Western Conference will be a tall task, but playing with this very good Utah roster will be his best chance at receiving the honor for the first time in his career.