Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley will return to action on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings after missing the last 13 games (and 18 of the last 19) due to a hamstring injury.
The Jazz have been rolling in Conley's absence. Utah has won 10 in a row and 15 of its last 16, so many are wondering how Conley will fit in now that the Jazz have appeared to hit their stride without him.
Conley said on Saturday that being sidelined during Utah's recent stretch has been tough, but that he has felt pretty good over the last couple of weeks:
“Obviously, it’s been a little bit draining because you want to be a part of success,” said Conley, via Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. “… For the most part, the last couple weeks I’ve felt fine. It’s hard to tell somebody not to do something when you feel like you can run through a wall.”
The Jazz acquired Conley in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies last June, sending Jae Crowder and Grayson Allen back to Memphis. In the wake of that deal, many expected Utah to instantly become a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.
However, Conley has struggled early on in his tenure with his new team. He is averaging 13.6 points, 4.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds over 29.4 minutes per game over his first 22 games, shooting 36.5 percent from the floor, 36 percent from three-point range and 80.3 percent from the free-throw line.
To make matters worse, the Jazz struggled with him and have taken off since he's been out of the lineup.
But now, Conley will get a chance to show that he can be an asset rather than a liability to a Utah squad that has certainly found its groove recently.
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