Memphis Grizzlies: 5 Things To Watch For With Mike Conley Out

1. Grizz Are In Serious Trouble

There’s no way of beating around the bush here: The Memphis Grizzlies could be in serious trouble. Every win they scrape together between now and Conley’s return is a blessing, even for a team that’s already off to an 11-7 start.

Assuming the worst-case scenario, where Conley misses a full eight weeks, that would mean the Grizz have to scratch and claw their way through 32 games without their starting floor general.

In that 32-game span, Memphis’ opponents currently hold a .526 win percentage, with 18 of those games coming against teams currently at or above .500. Half of those 32 games will be on the road, but some of those home contests include dates with likely playoff teams like the Warriors, Cavaliers, Jazz (twice), Celtics, Rockets (twice), Thunder, Bulls and Raptors.

As ESPN Stats & Info shows us, the Grizzlies boast a solid +6.5 Net Rating with Mike Conley on the court, but the moment he steps off it, Memphis’ -13.8 Net Rating would put them at the very bottom of the league. Their 91.1 offensive rating without Conley would also be the worst in the NBA.

Assuming the Grizz can stay around .500, they’d still be in good shape in the playoff hunt by the time Conley returns. But assuming that would be assuming WAY too much, since Conley was really doing it all for this team.

If Conley only misses six weeks and the Grizz carry on winning 64.7 percent of their games once he returns the way they were before his injury, Memphis should be able to climb its way out of the inevitable hole they’re going to dig for themselves.

Next: 2016-17 NBA Power Rankings: Week 6

But the margin for error/injury was already slim for a team with little depth, so with one key starter out and the team’s best player now going down, the Grizzlies may be hard-pressed to make the playoffs, let alone challenge the Western elite this year.