If you turned off last Friday's Grizzlies-Warriors game late in the third quarter, when the Dubs were up 90-66, you could be forgiven. Not only are the Warriors the best team in the league, they have an offense that can score ten points in 30 seconds pretty much whenever they feel like it. A comeback seemed impossible, especially from a Memphis team that runs a slow-paced offense and struggles to hit threes. And yet, the Grizzlies marched all the way back to a 128-119 overtime win. While plenty of players came through, their MVP that night was undeniably Mike Conley, who scored 27 points along with 12 assists, and hit the game-tying shot with seven seconds left in regulation. It was yet another great performance for Conley, who in his 11th year in the league appears to be reaching his absolute peak.While Grizzlies fans have been appreciating Conley for years, casual NBA fans probably know him primarily for the massive five-year, $150 million contract he signed this off-season. It was the richest contract in NBA history, and for people who had only a peripheral knowledge of Conley's existence it was befuddling. Why give this much money to someone who was, what, the fifth best point guard in his own conference? The reason was simple: Conley, while not a household name outside of the 901, is one of the most hyper-competent players in the game. He won't put up flashy stats or thunderous dunks like the Currys and Westbrooks of the world, but he's been a consistently strong leader for a team currently boasting the league's third longest streak of consecutive playoff appearances. For his steady-if-rarely-spectacular play, it made sense to compensate him, even if the number still seems a bit glaring.Conley so far has evaded the "contract year" curse by having arguably his best season yet, but he's been consistently strong for the past half-decade. Going back to the 2012-13 season, his PER has never been lower than 18.3, and his Win Shares Per 48 Minutes has been well above the league average of .100, peaking at .172 and never dipping below .144. Essentially, Conley has always been an efficient player, even though he's only recently become a high-usage one. Throughout the 2010s, Conley has quietly run the show, distributing the ball to the likes of Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, and, if we're going back a few years, Rudy Gay. The counting stats on Conley have never been eye-popping, but he's long been the ideal conductor of the Grizzlies offense.One of the most illuminating pieces on Conley was Jonathan Abrams's Grantland profile of him two years ago, which painted the portrait of someone who was more concerned with his teammates than himself. Conley discussed how he always makes sure to keep track of who hasn't gotten a shot in awhile, and to get the ball in that player's hand as soon as possible. It's this awareness that has allowed the Grizzlies to maintain a high level of chemistry, even amidst frequent roster changes. When you're on the court with Conley, he's not going to forget about you.The Abrams profile implored readers to "Stop Calling Mike Conley Jr. Underrated," a problem he no longer faces in light of both his contract and the fact that he is continuously brought up as an All-Star snub, to the point where he embodies the concept. And yet, if that particular U-word no longer fits, it feels like "under-appreciated" still does. Much of this is because we're absolutely spoiled with brilliant point guards these days, so much so that a workmanlike creator like Conley can't help but feel a tad uninteresting. Still, Conley's understated leadership is worth taking the time to admire. He may never make an All-Star team (although with the fan voting, you can never be sure), but he's been an essential contributor to a perennial playoff team for the better part of a decade. For that alone, he deserves respect.
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