The prospect of a team playing a seven-game series against Steph Curry without their best defensive point guard is nightmarish.
That's the reality the Memphis Grizzlies could be facing with Mike Conley sidelined following surgery to insert two metal plates in his face to repair a fracture. While he remains without a firm timetable for his return, Conley is hoping to save the Grizzlies from that fate at some point during the series.
Conley attended the Grizzlies' Game 5 close-out of the team's opening-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, showing off some serious bruising around his left eye. During the TNT broadcast, Conley provided a brief update on his status, saying that he will try to return to help Memphis deal with Curry and the Golden State Warriors before the series is over.
"We're hopeful that it'll be sooner than later," Conley said. "It has a lot to do with the swelling. ... People's bodies accept things differently. It's day-by-day so we'll see what happens."
The Grizzlies were expected to know more about Conley's timeline at some point on Thursday but have yet to make an announcement. The Western Conference semifinal series opens Sunday and could extend as far as May 17 if seven games are required, giving Conley more than two weeks to recover and still make it back for a game.
But extending the series seven games seems a relative impossibility for the Grizzlies without Conley. The Warriors would be favorites even if Conley were healthy, and the lack of their two-way star significantly lowers Memphis' ability to compete.
Nick Calathes and Beno Udrih will man the point in Conley's stead, but each is generally a one-way player, with Calathes providing defense and Udrih bringing offense. It's a bit of a Sophie's choice for Memphis, as they can risk letting Curry torch Udrih or risk their offense stalling with Calathes running things.
Should Conley be able to return for, say, Game 3 on May 9, that may be enough time for Memphis to make a competitive series of it. Their ability to do so seems tenuous if Conley's absence lasts much longer than that.
