Jazz Vet Mike Conley Jr. To Miss Two Weeks

Utah Jazz veteran guard Mike Conley Jr. could miss at least two weeks of action.

Mike Conley Jr. Avoids Major Injury

Mike Conley Jr. will miss at least a couple of weeks of action, but he’s still fortunate to avert disaster. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Conley avoided a major injury or “ligament damage” on the knee injury that he sustained in a Saturday game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Jazz still won that game via a five-point decision, but a cloud of concern hovered over Conley’s injury, especially with the way that he sustained it.

With a shade over 10 minutes left in the third quarter, Mike Conley Jr. exited the game early due to a non-contact injury to his left knee. Non-contact knee injuries almost always lead to major setbacks, so Conley is really fortunate to be missing just two weeks with this one. Having turned 35 years of age last October, it might be true that Conley is now past his prime. But he is still a steady hand as a starter and finisher for the Jazz, as he is putting up a decent stat line of 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest. Conley has helped the Jazz streak to the top of the Western Conference standings, as they’re currently holding an excellent record of twelve wins against only six defeats.

This is Conley’s fourth season with the Jazz. After spending 12 productive years with the Memphis Grizzlies, Conley arrived at Utah as a seasoned veteran and leader. This is the year that Conley will have the utmost opportunity to act as a leader, especially with the Jazz trading away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the offseason. Conley leads a balanced Jazz lineup that also includes Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Malik Beasley, Collin Sexton, and Jarred Vanderbilt.