Mike Conley: Will start Monday

Conley (Achilles) has been cleared to start at point guard for Monday's game against the Pelicans, Rob Fischer of FOX Sports Southeast reports.

Analysis:

After making it through pregame warmups without any apparent setbacks to his ailing left Achilles' tendon, Conley will make his return from a six-game absence. However, because Conley's status for Monday's game was in serious question entering the day, it seems quite likely that he'll face limited minutes in his return to action. If that's the case, backup point guard Mario Chalmers could still see plenty of playing time Monday, but it shouldn't be long before Conley surpasses 30 minutes on a regular basis and eliminates most of Chalmers' short-term fantasy appeal.