The Utah Jazz just secured a wild victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night and will likely get a nice boost to their lineup Friday with the return of veteran PG Mike Conley. Barring any setbacks, he's expected to play against the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing nine games, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon. Utah went 3-6 during that span.

Absolutely no one thought this team would be in contention in the West after trading away both stars in Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the summer. But with a young, hungry group, they've exceeded expectations, going 15-12. That puts them in sixth place. However, as you can see, the absence of Conley has hurt.

The 35-year-old is posting averages of 10.2 points, 7.9 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per night while shooting 38.6% from three-point land. The scoring numbers are down a bit, but Mike Conley is still facilitating at a very high level, dishing out a career-high in dimes. The likes of Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton are carrying most of the offensive load.

Aside from his abilities on the floor though, Conley is the most experienced player on this roster and serves as the ultimate leader for the Jazz. The hope is he can stay healthy and help Utah potentially compete for a play-in spot or perhaps even more. After hosting Minnesota, they head on the road Saturday for a tough matchup with the Denver Nuggets. Conley will probably sit that one out and then get back to it Tuesday against the New Orleans Pelicans.