NBA Playoffs must-follow storylines: Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets

2. How badly will Utah miss Mike Conley?

Mike Conley was supposed to be Utah’s guy, that one missing piece to push a perennial playoff participant into a new hierarchy of championship contention. Instead, Conley inexplicably struggled, posting his fewest points per game since 2012 with a career-low in field goal percentage.

Before the season could restart, the loss of Bojan Bogdanovic to wrist surgery already put the Jazz at a disadvantage. To balance the scales, they’d need Conley to rediscover the abilities made him such a desirable acquisition in the first place.

The results so far have been encouraging. Conley has played in six of Utah’s eight seeding games, averaging 18.0 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 37.2 percent on 7.2 triples per game. Utah is just 2-4 in those games, but Conley’s individual production has been a welcomed sight given the unexplainable struggles it took to get to this point.

And yet, just as a corner was being turned, Conley exited the bubble to be present for the birth of his son. Though expected to return later in the series, anything beyond four games isn’t guaranteed. The perimeter creator expected to relieve Donovan Mitchell of the burden that proved too heavy in the past is now gone, leaving the Jazz searching for answers.

Even at his lower points, the drop off between Conley and backup Emmanuel Mudiay is significant. Utah sought Conley for this very moment, to help raise their playoff ceiling. Having just begun to reap the benefits he brings, his absence, even for just a few games, could seal their fate.