3 Former players that have excelled since leaving the Utah Jazz
These three Utah Jazz players have surprised everyone.
By Chad Porto
Mike Conley - Minnesota Timberwolves
At 36, you'd expect some regression from the former Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies point guard. Yet, he's done anything but.
He played just a combined 67 games last season between the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves, seeing his stats dip along the way. He shot 43.5% from the floor and 40.8% from three in 2021-2022, but saw his figures dip in 2022-2023 to 42.8% and 38.5%. Not terrible, but the thought of a regression was coming.
Yet, at 35, he's played 74 games, the most since the 2012-2013 season, while posting the second-best field goal percentage of his career with 45.5% (46% in 2016-2017 was his best). His three-point shot has also improved, with it currently sitting at 43.9 a career-high. And unlike Dante Exum, who is staying around his career average for field goal attempts, Conley is shooing above his career average for three-point attempts.
His season on both ends of the court has been so good that he's put up his fifth-best box plus-minus of his career with a +3.2.
He's been a crucial part of the T-Wolves run this season and will be a valuable asset in the post-season.