The Memphis Grizzlies have been part of a nightmarish 2017-18 season, partly due to the costly absence of floor general Mike Conley Jr., who only played 12 games this season before sitting out the rest following a nagging heel injury.
After undergoing a procedure in late January, the veteran updated the broadcast crew with details of his impending recovery.
“I've been out of the boot for about two-and-a-half weeks,” said Conley during Wednesday's broadcast of a 108-103 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. “We're being cautious but I'm anxious to get out there.”
The season is all but lost, with other veterans like Marc Gasol angry with the constant losing and the barrage of injuries that have maligned this roster, which has resigned to playing their young core in hopes to see some results.
The Grizzlies have won two games in a row, despite being a whisper away from the Phoenix Suns for the worst record in the league, and the most chances to garner the top pick in the NBA Draft.
Conley had been bothered with this injury since the second game of the season against the Golden State Warriors, and spent the next month trying to manage the injury while still remaining on the court, but chose to take a step back once he saw his poor performances weren't helping the team much.
“Time is the only thing that can kind of heal this kind of thing,” Conley said earlier in January, according to Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com. “And it seems like it’s taking forever.”
The Ohio State product is bound to make his return to the court next season, but several changes could take place with the ownership of majority owner Robert Pera in question and a major overhaul that has taken place since this past offseason.