Griz's Mike Conley keeps focus on court

Grizzlies starting point guard Mike Conley reached the lane on a drive to the basket with his understudy, Acie Law, defending.

Conley then froze Law with a stutter-step dribble on his way to an uncontested layup Monday during a training camp practice.

Scoring a contract extension won't come as easily for Conley.

The Griz have not entered negotiations for a contract extension with Conley and have no imminent plans to do so. Conley, 22, was the fourth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, and he reacted with indifference.

"My focus is me coming out with a chip on my shoulder regardless of whether I'm signed or not," Conley said. "I'm going to play as if I was somebody working to get a contract and help make this a winning team. If we win and I do my job, then I'll get signed eventually, from whomever."
"These things all take on a life of their own," Griz general manager Chris Wallace said. "As was the case with Rudy last year, it doesn't mean that if we fail to reach an agreement with Mike this fall that it won't get done in the summer."

There might only be a handful of players from that class signed to contract extensions. Only Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant (No.2 overall pick) and Chicago's Joakim Noah (ninth overall pick) have agreed to terms. The third overall pick, Al Horford, is in negotiations with Atlanta.

That leaves Greg Oden, the No. 1 overall selection from 2007, Houston's Aaron Brooks (the 26th pick) and Conley among the class notables without serious contract talks.

"They have their reasons. It's up to them," Conley said. "All I can control is what I do on the court this season. That's all I'm looking forward to."
Griz coach Lionel Hollins said he is happy with how Conley has performed in training camp.
"He's an above-average point guard," Hollins said. "He's not in the top echelon, but he's in the top tier. He's got a lot of growth area left in his game. But there are a lot of guys who get credit for being in the top echelon and they really aren't. There are only a number of top-echelon players in the NBA, period."