Memphis Grizzlies: 5 Things To Watch For With Mike Conley Out
With Mike Conley set to miss at least six weeks with a back injury, what can we expect from the Memphis Grizzlies in the meantime?
Off to an 11-7 start, the Memphis Grizzlies were looking good under first-year head coach David Fizdale. Despite missing Chandler Parsons for 12 games already, the Grizz sat at fifth in the Western Conference standings after winning seven of their last nine games.
But for a team seriously lacking in depth, another injury would’ve been enough to tip the scales against the Grit-N-Grind, and as the old adage goes for Mike Conley‘s team, this is why we can’t have nice things.
As first reported by Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com, the perennial near-All-Star Conley is expected to miss at least six weeks due to a fracture in the vertebrae in his lower back, an injury he suffered in a third quarter collision during Monday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
According to Wallace, no surgery is required, but the rest and recovery time will sideline Conley until at least mid-December.
My understanding is Conley's injury is similar to Dallas QB Tony Romo's. No surgery required but rest and recovery needed to heal fractures.
— Michael Wallace (@MyMikeCheck) November 29, 2016
Averaging a career-high 19.2 points, 5.7 assists and a career-high 3.6 rebounds per game, Conley was submitting his best season yet after signing a five-year, $153 million extension — the largest contract in NBA history — over the summer.
Conley was also shooting 44 percent from the field and a career-high 46.7 percent from three-point range. He was leading the team in scoring, assists, three-point percentage and Player Efficiency Rating, so there’s no doubt the Grizzlies are going to miss their best player.
The question is, what can we expect from the Grizz moving forward? From possible moves Memphis can make to aid their backcourt, to expectations for their incumbent replacements, to other areas of concern, here are five things to watch for with Mike Conley out.