Mike Conley’s reputation around the league may be headed for a second career.
According to the annual question-and-answer survey conducted by NBA.com’s John Schuhmann, half of the NBA’s general managers chose the Celtics veteran as the active player they believe would make the best head coach someday. That put Conley well ahead of the field and gave Boston a player with unexpected future-coach buzz right out of the gate.
The gap was significant. Indiana Pacers guard T.J.
McConnell finished second with 13 percent, followed by New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson at 10 percent and Golden State Warriors big man Draymond Green at 7 percent. Conley’s share was nearly four times McConnell’s, which says plenty about how strongly he’s viewed as a leader.
He wasn’t the only Celtic to earn recognition, either. Derrick White also received votes in the same category.
Conley’s résumé helps explain why so many executives landed on him. He has been in the NBA since 2007 and is entering his 20th season, his first with the Celtics. He’s a one-time All-Star and has made one All-Defensive team, but his biggest calling card has long been the stuff that doesn’t always show up in the box score: steady leadership, a trusted voice in the locker room, and a reputation for doing the right things day after day.
That last part has followed him throughout his career. Conley owns four Sportsmanship Awards, the most in NBA history.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla hinted before the season even began at why Conley draws so much respect from teammates and peers alike.
"Leadership just comes naturally to him, and I think people flock to him in general as being a great teammate," Mazzulla said. "I think it’s really just his personality.
You know, like I said, leadership becomes very natural to him. He’s constantly coming into the building worrying about others and not worrying about himself, which I think says a lot about him, but also the experience of you know of what he’s been in, and he comes in very present."
For now, Conley still has plenty to give Boston on the court. But if the general managers are reading him right, his basketball future could eventually shift from directing possessions to directing an entire team from the sideline.
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