Jazz point guard Mike Conley Jr. reportedly added to the 2021 NBA All-Star Game roster, according to Tony Jones of The athleticConley’s addition to the mid-season festivities is pending his approval of the league’s medical protocols.
Conley will replace Suns guard Devin Booker in both the All-Star Game and the 3-point contest. Booker is dealing with a sprained left knee
Conley, who is 33 and in his 14th NBA season, is making his first All-Star appearance in his career. He has averaged 16.1 points, 5.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 29 games this year, his second at the Jazz.
In the All-Star draw between Team LeBron and Team Kevin Durant, the last two picks were Jazz All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. The decision felt like a disdain for the team currently leading the Western Conference, especially as LeBron noted that his team needed size before choosing the 6’11 “Domantis Sabonis over the 7’1” Gobert.
Mitchell and Gobert recently took the ire of the league when they criticized the lead following a loss over the 76ers’ extension. Mitchell called the referees’ missed calls against the Jazz “f —— ridiculous,” while Gobert believed the Jazz got the short end of the stick due to their status as a small market team. Both players were fined by the league for their comments on Friday.
“We can’t get some of the calls that everyone in the f —— league gets,” said Gobert. “We know we are the Utah Jazz, and there may be people who don’t. I want to see us go as far as I think we can go.”