The Utah Jazz, who currently holds the title of the Best in the West while holding the best record in the Western Conference, is about to be without their starting point guard Mike Conley. The veteran suffered a popliteus strain on his left leg on Saturday in a game versus the Portland Trail Blazers after running into Portland center Jusuf Nurkic.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Conley will be out for at least two weeks.
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
If it’s one thing that the Jazz are going to miss with Conley out, it’s definitely going to be his ability to create shots for this young team.
Despite the 35-year-old nearing the end of his magnificent career, it is actually now where he is averaging a career-high in assists with 7.9 dimes a contest, along with 10.2 points. With a record of 12-6, the Jazz does not have a lot of breathing room between them and the Phoenix Suns. The Suns are second in the Western Conference and are only a game behind Utah.
The situation calls for Jazz guards Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton to step up. Expect the two to have more playmaking responsibilities with Conley out. Clarkson is averaging 18.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.9 rebounds this season. As for Sexton, he’s putting up 13.1 points and 1.9 assists for the campaign.
Next up, the Jazz will be back at it again tonight at 10:30 P.M when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers.
