After a left hamstring injury caused Jazz point guard Mike Conley to miss 19 of the team’s last 20 contests, the 32-year-old is probable to return to action in a home tilt against the Kings tonight, according to Aaron Falk of UtahJazz.com.
“I’ve been waiting a long time,” Conley told gathered reporters following a Saturday morning Jazz shootaround. “I’m ready to go.”
The Jazz thrived in Conley’s absence, going 16-4 without him, including a recently-snapped 10-game win streak. They are 12-9 with Conley in the lineup.
Expected to be the missing piece that could vault the Jazz into championship contention after the team had been a recent also-ran in the crowded West, Conley has been a disappointment thus far in Utah. He is averaging just 13.6 PPG, his lowest scoring mark since 2011/12, shooting a career-low 36.5% from the field.
“I try to play defense and be an unselfish teammate,” Conley said of his fit when he returns to the floor for the Jazz. “I think it will be easy to conform to what we’ve got going and try to elevate it as much as I can.”
Conley is in the fourth year of a five-year, $153MM contract he inked with the Grizzlies in 2016. He has a $34.5MM early termination option for the 2020/21 season. Given his recent decline with the Jazz, it is probable that he will opt in for the final year.
No matter what the record shows… getting him back healthy is obviously going to be a boost for the team. He’s a good player and despite a slow start this year he’s too much of a professional to think that his struggles will continue. He’s figure things out and more likely than not find a way to get his numbers back up and mesh with the team and make them stronger.
He WAS a good player. An excellent player. But he’s in his 30s, where players often decline steeply and suddenly. He probably needs to be playing off the bench. Problem is, they already have Clarkson as their bench PG. I foresee rotation issues.
Seems to be the trend this year, Nets were slightly better without Kyrie than with him, Kings & Jazz were so much better without Fox & Conley… that shows PG’s might not be as important as many fans think, I still believe the big man, the C’s the most important man to build the team around. Sixers, Wolves are way worst without Embiid & KAT.
True… teammates may become motivated by the opportunity to have more say in the offense if the main PG is out.
A premium 4 or 5 has been the norm for every championship. Sometimes its premium defensively like Pistons GSW and Raptors. But can you think of a a team that won with a bum or so-so 4 or 5 since Jordan left the Bulls? So if you were an odds maker I think you favor the contending teams with an above average 4 or 5. It’s all future HoFers or All Team Defenders. (Bynum played with Gasol so… and Loves career stats will eventually get him in that clout too.
Lakers Shaq, Gasol, Bynum
Spurs Robinson Duncan
Pistons Wallace
Celtics Garnett
Mavs Dirk
Heat Bosh
Cavs Love
GSW Draymond
Raptors Gasol/Ibaka
It sure is a fall, considering his PER was over 20 over the last 6 years, 21 last year. 12 now. Playing too much a sort of statesman?
You know how there is a stat for BABIP for baseball… basically how lucky it unlucky a hitter is. Wonder how that is for Conley’s shot. He is shooting terribly, I mean I haven’t been able to watch him much at all overseas but what’s not dropping is his 3-10 ft and 16-ft to 3P. Floater is broke? and hes bricking the mid range.
Play him with the 2nd group so he feels compelled to take more control. See if he can build back to where he was with MEM. If he does then make a decision if not he can lead the 2nd team.