3. Mike Conley
Mike Conley will go down as one of the most underrated players in NBA history. He does so much for his teams. He leads by example, is a gritty defender, can make plays, shoot it, you name it. The problem for Conley is that he has played in a Western Conference filled with great guards his whole career.
This season that doesn’t change as he was traded to the Utah Jazz. However, the Jazz are expected to not only be a playoff team but a potential contender. As a result, you have a bigger opportunity of representing your team in the All-Star game.
The Jazz have star Donovan Mitchell, who will likely make it for his second year in a row. Last year Rudy Gobert was one of many guys who had their All-Star case. This season things may change for both him and Conley if the Jazz find themselves winning many games.
Mike Conley has never made an All-Star game despite being the leader of many strong Memphis Grizzlies teams. Memphis made the playoffs for seven straight seasons, and Conley was a big reason why.
His numbers don’t wow you like a Russell Westbrook or Stephen Curry but he does a lot of things and does them well.
Look for Conley to have a similar season to his 2018-19 campaign where he averaged 21.1 points and 6.4 assists. Anything in that range to go along with his stellar defense should get him in for the first time.