The New York Knicks point guard hunt took a wrong turn as long shot target Mike Conley now appears to be completely out of reach.
The New York Knicks have a number of options in free agency to address their desperate need at the point guard position. The prize of course is Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies. According to Grizzlies’ GM Chris Wallace though, the point guard isn’t going anywhere.
"We are undefeated in re-signing our core players, and we will remain so. We are going to re-sign Mike Conley" – Chris Wallace
— Chris Vernon (@ChrisVernonShow) April 20, 2016
General managers don’t make statements like that. It’s the kind of thing that can potentially rub both a player and his agent the wrong way. Not unless he had a strong belief in his player. It’s the kind of statement Phil Jackson would make for no reason.
He does make a point though. Countless NBA people laughed at the Knicks and their fans when they thought Marc Gasol would be lured away from Memphis for the golden opportunity to play in the triangle like his brother before him. Of course, the Zen Master had a built in excuse for that failure. He didn’t really want Gasol in the first place. I digress, in my disgust.
Conley had a non-traditional contract year, injury plagued with poor shooting numbers. In total Conley only played 56 games, and is luckily sitting out for the merciless beat down that the Grizzlies are currently taking at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
In his ninth season out of Ohio State, the point guard averaged 31.4 minutes, 15.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.4 three-point shots made on a slash line of .422/.363/.834.
Conley would have had to make adjustments to his game to play for the Knicks. Like any other point guard he would have had to adjust to the t-word. For Conley that would mean an incredible change.
According to NBA Stats, Conley was the ball handler on a pick and roll an average of 6.8 possessions per game, by far his most frequently used play. Jose Calderon averaged just 2.9 in the anti-pick and roll offense. It worked out well though.
The Knicks need a point guard. It just won’t be Mike Conley.
