Jazz coach Quin Snyder already trusts veteran Mike Conley
“It’s unusual that you trust a player so quickly, but he’s earned that,” said Jazz head coach Quin Snyder, who’s already given the veteran point guard some room to run his own plays, according to Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. “That’s who he is.”
Snyder called the new addition an “elite point guard,” a compliment that speaks of just how highly the Jazz organization regarded Conley when first hoping to get him, a target that dials back to this past trade deadline. Ricky Rubio was the guy who was holding the PG position in the starting lineup but clearly he wasn’t so effective with ball, something that Synder expects to see with Conley this season. Conley is a veteran who played for the Memphis Grizzlies during his whole journey in the magic world of the NBA. He was Grizzlies leader in games played, points, assists, steals, field goals and 3-pointers — and this summer decided to take step forward in his career and move to Utah so he can compete in a high level with a very good defensive team. It’s time to see how it is have so many forces all together (Conley, Mitchell, Gobert, Ingles) and how far they can get to the playoffs, because, of course, I expect them to be in the playoffs next postseason.
“He’s got a presence. And that manifests itself in taking big shots, making two free throws at the end of practice so his teammates don’t have to run, defensively,” said Snyder. “Saying he’s a smart player sells him short. Being smart is not just understanding coverages and things like that, it’s understanding people, his teammates, knowing what guys need.”
“It means a lot. It mean a lot. Especially coming from Quin,” said Conley on earning Snyder’s trust.
“Man, it’s been easy, honestly,” said Conley. “I just wanted to come in and be who I am, and hope that’s good enough. And so far, that’s working.”
“The feel that he has for the game and the players around him is really unique… I’m excited to see him connect with other guys on the team and lead”, coach Quin Snyder said.
Last season, Conley played 70 games with the Memphis Grizzlies and he averaged 21.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.3 blocks per game. He dedicated 12-years of his career to his former and beloved team (aka Grizzlies) and in all 12 seasons he averaged totally: 14.9 points, 3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.2 blocks according to Basketball Reference.