Grizzlies’ Conley on verge of career milestone, again

Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley is about to join NBA legends Lebron James and Reggie Miller in an elite basketball fraternity.

Conley needs seven points to pass Marc Gasol to become the Grizzlies’ alltime leading scorer – again.

If he does so, he will join James and Miller as the only players in NBA history to lead a franchise in points, games played, assists, steals and 3-pointers.

His first chance will come Monday (7 p.m., Fox Southeast) against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The milestone comes amid a prolific offensive stretch for the 12th-year point guard.

Conley is averaging a career-high 20.9 points just one season after missing all but 12 games because of an Achilles injury. His production has ratcheted up even more since the trade deadline as the Grizzlies have altered their offensive style.

“I keep joking with the guys,” Conley said. “They say I’m getting older, and I’m 31. I’ve never been able to play like this before, so I feel like new to the whole thing. I’m excited to kind of see where I can go as far as my individual game is concerned in an offense like this, with spacing like this and with spacing the way we have it.”

Entering Monday’s game, Conley is averaging 23.5 points in 14 games since the Grizzlies traded Gasol to the Rap-

tors.

It’s a stretch that included his first career 40-point game and seven games of 25 points or more as the Grizzlies have transitioned to a faster tempo with four perimeter players centered around one post player.

“The way we play, it’s allowed for our guards to get more penetration, and I think that’s allowed me to get to the free-throw line a little bit more,” Conley said. “Just being able to be more aggressive, getting to the rim and getting those foul calls and knocking down free throws. I think everything is coming together at the right time as far as offense is concerned for us.”

Conley claimed after a recent practice that he was unaware that he soon would be passing his good friend Gasol as the franchise’s alltime scoring leader.

“I thought I was already that,” Conley said with a smile.

At one point, Conley was the franchise’s all-time scoring leader. He passed Pau Gasol for first place in the 2016-17 season before Marc Gasol swooped in and claimed the honor as Conley missed 70 games with injury last season.

“I missed a lot of games last year. I forgot. Obviously, that’s an honor to even be among the few up there. Marc obviously being a Grizzlies great, it’d be an honor to have that kind of title.”

Reach Grizzlies beat writer David Cobb at david.cobb@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @Davidwcobb.