The New York Knicks need a point guard and they want Mike Conley at all costs. But is he the answer?
The Knicks will try and secure a meeting for top free agents, even Kevin Durant, but filling up the point guard spot seems to be a more urgent (and realistic) goal for the team.
The team site Knicks Daily outlined the reasons why Conley should be a target. They cite his "offensive versatility" which means he can do anything that is asked of him: he has a solid three point shot, he can play the pick and roll and finish well at the rim. He's not too flashy and does not excel at one particular skill.
This is one reason why he has been voted into the All-Star team-he does not get that much attention (although the West's insane collection of point guards is the bigger reason). The success of the Memphis Grizzlies (making the postseason six straight years, including the Conference Finals) has largely been attributed to Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph but Conley has been the stabilizing force.
Speaking of stabilizing force, Maxwell Ogden of Knicks Daily noted that Conley "is a player without an identifiable weakness." He does not light up the assists column like Rajon Rondo does but most pundits and apparently, the Knicks brass themselves, are not high on his ball-heavy style.
The Knicks have a star player in Carmelo Anthony who also facilitates the offense. While Anthony was the one who endorsed Rondo, there are so many question marks on him at this point unlike Conley who has been consistent almost his entire career. He is a steady, efficient facilitator highlighted by his league best assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.07. The acknowledged best point guard Chris Paul is second at 3.80.
While Conley has had some injuries, there's hardly any player who hasn't. The Knicks should check on the status of his Achilles tendon injury which made him miss the last 20 games of the season (and postseason).
Still, if the decision was up to the Knicks, signing Conley would be a no-brainer. But will his presence take them to the playoffs? Conley will make New York (or any team) better if he joins them and considering how Phil Jackson believes they can make the playoffs with the current roster (as he shared with ESPN), the clear answer is "yes."
"I think so. I think we're getting experience," Jackson responded on whether they Knicks will be a playoff team in 2016-17. "Kristaps Porzingisis still a young player; he may need another year of experience. But we have some experienced guys who can play."
Conley is not out to be the star of the Knicks-he will just do what he does best, what he has done his entire career. If the Knicks stay healthy, Conley's addition will make Jackson's prediction a reality.