1:25 PM ET
” My very first response is my best desires to Mike Conley and his household. … If Mike Conley is not available for Game 1, whatever it is, I am sure other men will step up. If Mike Conley is not readily available, that indicates more Donovan Mitchell, who is an all-NBA-caliber player.”
Eric WoodyardESPN
Ahead of his very first NBA playoff experience with the Utah Jazz, veteran point player Mike Conley left the Orlando bubble Sunday morning to go back to Columbus, Ohio, for the birth of his kid, the team revealed.
A source told ESPN that Conley plans to rejoin the Jazz at some time in the playoffs.
For approved departures from the NBA bubble, if a player leaves for less than 7 days and tests unfavorable on every day that he is not inside the bubble, he would have to quarantine for four days upon returning.
The Jazz deal with the Denver Nuggets in the first round, with Game 1 set for 1:30 p.m. ET Monday (ESPN).
” My very first response is my finest dreams to Mike Conley and his household. I hope whatever goes well,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “… If Mike Conley is not readily available for Game 1, whatever it is, I make sure other men will step up. We had the ability to enter into Utah this year and win with 7 people. I do not buy into that excessive. If Mike Conley is not offered, that means more Donovan Mitchell, who is an all-NBA-caliber gamer.”
Considering that the reboot, Conley has balanced 18 points and five assists per game after having a hard time previously in the season with his shooting.
Utah is also playing without second-leading scorer Bojan Bogdanovic, who went through surgery on his ideal wrist.
Jazz coach Quin Snyder said Conley, who invested his very first 12 seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, was just starting to feel comfortable in his new situation after the league suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic.
” Any time you go through change at whatever capacity in life, there are difficulties,” Snyder said after Saturdays practice. “And Mike probably went through as much modification throughout this offseason than definitely anybody Ive ever coached.
” Playing with new personnel, playing in a new city, having actually remained in Memphis for his whole profession, which was a long, terrific career there,” Snyder added, “and not beginning over, however attempting to process all of the things that were new.”
ESPNs Ohm Youngmisuk added to this report.
