What will Mike Conley add to the Utah Jazz?
After months of speculation and reports linking Mike Conley with the franchise, he is finally a member of the Utah Jazz. While this news might not exactly be new, it’s still something that brings a smile to many a Jazz fan’s face. Also, he hasn’t even put on the jersey yet, let alone step foot on the court for the team. But nonetheless, now that the dust has settled, it’s time to take a look at exactly what this means for the Jazz going forward.
The first thing to notice about this trade is that Donovan Mitchell is going to get some much-needed breathing room. As a rookie, Mitchell was able to attack night after night, getting into the paint and breaking down defenders seemingly at will. Fast forward to year two, and the league was much more prepared for him. He was the main subject of scouting reports for every team, as players were able to pick him up at the break and prevent him from getting to the spots that he wanted. While he did a solid job of adjusting to defensive schemes as the season went on, it was obvious he needed help and someone to spread the floor for him.
Via @E_Woodyard twitter: The new Utah Jazz backcourt, Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley, are already starting to build chemistry. (📸: courtesy of @mconley11’s Instagram)
Enter Conley. With these two running the backcourt, Conley will alleviate a lot of the pressure that Mitchell faces. While Ricky Rubio is a good player and a solid point guard, he simply isn’t the offensive threat that Conley is. According to the NBA’s advanced stats, Rubio shot just 22 percent from three when a defender was six or more feet away. Conley, meanwhile, was shooting 43.3 percent from three under the same criterion. Defenders will have no choice but to gravitate out to Conley, allowing Mitchell to move more freely and get better looks.
While all of this sounds great, that’s not all that Conley is going to bring to the team. He’s a ruthless defender with years of playoff experience under his belt. Conley has made the All-Defensive team in the past and is going to fit in seamlessly with a Jazz team that already features an elite defense. The Grizzlies have been rebuilding the past few years, which gives Conley a fresh start and the opportunity to make another push for an NBA title. He is going to be hungry, and just might make another All-Defensive team alongside Rudy Gobert.
The one gripe that some people have about Conley is his contract. At the time he signed his five year / $152,605,576 contract, it was the richest in NBA history. Yes, this is an absolutely ludicrous amount of money, but it actually works out for the Jazz. His contract expires right before both Mitchell’s and Gobert’s contracts are up, giving the Jazz the money they need to (hopefully) re-sign both of them.
Lastly, Mike Conley is a good guy. He benefits his community outside of basketball and gives back in any way that he can. The current Jazz players always talk about how they have something that not very many teams in the NBA have; they have camaraderie. They are more than teammates — they are friends on and off the court. Conley is going to fit right in. He and Mitchell have already stepped into the gym together and started working toward next season. He’s found a new home, whether that be out in the city with fans or running the pick-and-roll with Gobert on the court.