The Sunday Mail
One of the NBA’s most underrated players in the last two decades is finally headed to the All-Star Game.
Mike Conley has been added to the Team LeBron roster for tomorrow’s 2021 NBA All-Star Game as a replacement for Devin Booker.
The decision marks the 33-year-old’s first All-Star berth in his 14-year career, and could very well be the longest spell an NBA player has ever waited for his first selection.
Conley joins Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert as the Jazz’s third representative at the game, tying the Brooklyn Nets for the largest contingent. Kevin Durant’s injury means the Jazz will likely have the most players actually playing. Booker, who himself was a replacement for the injured Anthony Davis will miss his second NBA All-Star game with a left knee sprain, according to the league.
Conley will also replace Booker in the NBA’s 3-point contest. Currently in his second year with the Utah Jazz, Conley is averaging 16.1 points, 5.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 42.2 percent from deep. His playmaking, defence and leadership have been a major reason the Jazz currently have the best record in the NBA at 27-9, but his level of play is nothing new compared to his time with the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Jazz acquired Conley via trade before last season, ending a 12-year tenure in Memphis that saw many strong teams, but no All-Star nods for the former fourth overall pick. — Yahoo Sports.
