The surprisingly successful Utah Jazz will be without veteran point guard Mike Conley for at least the next two weeks after he was diagnosed with a sprained knee.
Conley, 35, is averaging just 10.2 points per game this season for his lowest figure since his rookie season back in the 2007-08 season, but his 7.9 assists per game is setting a new career-high.
His leadership and ball distribution have helped the Jazz to 12-6 record – the best in the Western Conference – in a season where they were expected to bottom-out after trading away max-contract talents Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell in the offseason.
During Utah’s 118-113 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, Conley left the game after playing only eight minutes, going down awkwardly with a non-contact knee injury.
Sources: Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. avoided major injury or ligament damage on the non-contact left knee injury suffered Saturday night. He has a knee strain and is expected to miss at least two weeks.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 20, 2022
Usually a sign of significant damage, Conley dodged a bullet when it was revealed on Sunday by The Athletic’s Shams Charania that he had only suffered a knee sprain, and could be back in as little as two weeks.
His absence could lead to increased opportunity for Collin Sexton, who has been relegated to a bench role since arriving from the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of the trade for Mitchell.