Grizzlies' Conley frustrated he's never made an All-Star team

Mike Conley is living proof that you don't even need to be an NBA All-Star to be the highest-paid talent in the entire league, having signed a record five-year, $153-million deal over the summer with the Memphis Grizzlies.

That glaring omission on his resume is something Conley certainly isn't proud of, and one he'd like to rectify as soon as this season.

"It's very frustrating, but I know my team feels like I am, I feel like I am that All-Star-caliber guy," Conley said, according to the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda. "I just have to keep playing like that and get better as each year goes by."

The 29-year-old has grown accustomed to flying under the radar over the course of his nine years in Memphis. His game doesn't warrant the attention of flashier players like Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, and Damian Lillard in the Western Conference when it comes to fan voting, which ultimately hurts his chances at landing a starting role.

Even the coaches who select the reserves fail to acknowledge his consistency, but with the caliber of player Conley has to compete with, it's understandable why it continues to happen, even though it becomes more and more bothersome each passing year.

"At first, it didn't faze me at all, and then I got better and better as each year went on and I felt like I deserved a little more," he added. "I never kind of got that spotlight - and rightfully so, because there are so many good point guards in the West."

Even with such a gargantuan contract now locked up, Conley has taken his game to yet another level early on in the 2016-17 season, averaging a career-high 19.2 points, shooting a scorching 49.3 percent from 3-point range, dishing out 5.6 assists, and grabbing 3.5 boards per game.

Memphis sits fourth in the West at 9-5, and should the team continue to win games with Conley leading the way, it's going to be extremely difficult for voters to deny him a spot at All-Star Weekend yet again.