Mike Conley was a beloved figure during the 12 years he spent with the Grizzlies, so it’s going to be odd to face his old team in a playoff series, writes Mark Giannotto of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Conley will square off with 21-year-old point guard Ja Morant, who was drafted to replace him after he was traded to the Jazz in 2019.
“I know how great the fans are there when they’re rooting for you, but I don’t know what it’s like when they’re against you,” Conley said. “I’m looking forward to that. It’s a new chapter for me and it’ll be fun to compete in the city that was home for me for so long against the team that’s playing so well.”
Conley had one of his best seasons at age 33 and is coming off his first All-Star appearance. He had a difficult adjustment to Utah last season, but posted numbers this year that are typical of what he used to do in Memphis: 16.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 44% from the field and 41% from three-point range.
“I felt really comfortable in my role this year, how I’m used and how I can be effective for our team,” Conley said. “I think the bubble kind of helped expedite that and now with everybody healthy … everybody has really bought into their roles so much that we feel really comfortable and confident with what we have, and we feel like we can go to bat with anybody.”
There’s more from Utah:
- The new play-in tournament put the top-seeded Jazz in the awkward position of not knowing their first-round playoff opponent until late Friday night, notes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “It’s really different,” coach Quin Snyder said. “Some teams, they’ve known who they’re playing since early in the week. Their preparation is going to look very different from ours. Not knowing who you’re playing, you want to work, you’re ready to go, but at the same time be really smart about what it is that you’re doing.”
- Ersan Ilyasova is the only player listed on Utah’s injury report for Game 1, tweets Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. He is dealing with an illness that is not related to COVID-19.
- In case you missed it, Donovan Mitchell returned to practice Thursday and is hoping his sprained right ankle has healed enough for him to be active for the playoff opener.
All-Star team and 41% 3fg…. Conley’s off-season shooting coach should get a raise!
I don’t know why so many people think the Lakers are the ones to beat in the West when Utah is clearly a better team. No one should be surprised if the Jazz win it all.
If you believed that why can’t you say it. Why make everything about your hates. I doubt LAL is even favored over LAC.
The Lakers are playing Phoenix, not the Clippers.
And the only reason they would be favored is because that’s the way betting works. Almost everyone thinks that a team is favored because they’re supposed to be better, but that’s not how it works.
The team that is favored is perceived to be the better team by fans and bettors, and the oddsmakers set the lines to get as many people betting on both teams equally (if possible). Overrated teams like the Lakers are favored because people think they’re going to win, not because the oddsmakers think they will. Nothing to do with hate.
Your obsession with the Lakers is pathetic but, of course, so is everything else about you. Isn’t it time for you to change your handle again?
Wally had to watch his favourite team trade Harden and CP3 (along with 4 first round picks) for Wall, Olynyk, a heavily protected wiz pick, and a bunch of mediocre picks from Nets. I think he is handling it rather well))
He is clearly still hung up on seeing the Lakers roll over the Rockets in the playoffs. That is the main cause of his obsession.
I would think the teams that are more worrisome than the Lakers are Portland, Denver, Phoenix.
I actually think the Lakers and Clippers are my pics to come out of the West. One of those two. Denver desperately misses Jamal Murray, Phoenix is too young and this is the first time in the show. Deer-in-the-headlights stuff for Booker, Deandre ayton, mikal Bridges, and of course Chris Paul’s Hammy has not seen the second round ever. Definitely a team on the upswing though, and I love Monty Williams. Heck of a coach and person.
I don’t think Lebron is good to go… the achilles tendons are stiff and there is dissension for the Lakers. I lean to the Clips because defense though Utah & Phoenix are relentless.
HR has not had a community shootaround page on playoff predictions!
Hey Luke! Not too late really, game 1 is usually the least important.
Nevermind about Lebron… regular stepping. On tv now. CP3 out!— can they not pop a shoulder back in?
Jazz are/is? going nowhere… definitely not to the finals representing the West. Too much of a one-man team. They have some good role players but they rely on Donovan Mitchell too much to get them a key basket. You’ve got to have two stars even 3 today to get to the finals.
They better start thinking about who that second and third guy might be. Not happening this year.