Memphis Grizzlies: Mike Conley must do something he’s never done before

As amazing as it may seem, there are still people who believe that the Memphis Grizzlies can still make the playoffs. Mike Conley appears to be one of those people.

When it comes to basketball, I have never had a shortage of lower body injuries. Going into my Sophomore year of high school, I had a stress fracture in my right foot which kept me off the court for a month. In reality, my projected recovery time was closer to two months. However, after the first month, I noticed that I had no real pain in my foot whenever I removed the boot. Two months?  No! I feel great, and I need to get back out there on the court. What’s the worst that could happen?  I decided to disobey a doctor who was smarter than me and get back on the court a month earlier. Consequently, I only made the stress fracture worse, and I missed another two months simply because of my stubbornness.

All athletes want to be able to be on the playing field at all times, regardless of injury or handicap. Why? Because we are competitors, and it is in our nature to want to compete at all times. Unfortunately, as I discovered in high school, sometimes we need wise people to save us from ourselves. Hopefully, this is a lesson that Mike Conley can learn.

The Persistence of Conley

Mike Conley spoke with the media on Friday night and answered different questions regarding his rehab and the team in general. On the topic of his rehab, Conley was optimistic.

"“There’s still no timeline. We’re just going through the process,” Conley said. “The process is slow unfortunately. I’m making progress, though. I’m doing a lot more on the court. The last few weeks I’ve been able to get into different non-contact drills. I’ve increased my load to see how much the Achilles can take.”"

There’s still no timeline for his return.

When asked about his potential return, Conley said,

"“I can’t see how I wouldn’t (return to play). I’m very confident I’ll be suiting up at some point. “We’ve still got a lot of room to improve and a long season ahead of us,” Conley said. “That’s why I’m very anxious to get out there.”"

Over the years, Mike Conley has earned a reputation as one of the grittiest players in the league. From achilles problems to a broken face and back, he has played through every conceivable injury and ailment — and fans of the Memphis Grizzlies loved him for it.

No one cared who I was until I put on the mask.

However, Mike Conley’s persistence and toughness have come at a price — it has reduced the longevity of his career. As of Friday night, he has missed 77 games since the start of the 2014-15 season. Not only does Conley miss a good amount of time during the season, but he also pushes himself to play when he still isn’t fully healthy (like a majority of last winter after he returned far ahead of schedule from a broken back). This was never more noticeable than the beginning of this season as he basically played on one leg.

Of course, Mike Conley now wants to return and make a final push to “save the Grizzlies’ season.”

Related Story: Could the Grizz rally into playoffs?

Time to Accept Reality

Here is one fact of the situation: The Memphis Grizzlies are not making the playoffs.

I know that there are some people who are still holding out hope, but hope can become poisonous if it’s based entirely on delusion. With close to half of the season left, the Grizzlies are eight games behind the Pelicans for the 8th spot. According to ESPN’s BPI Playoff Odds, the Grizzlies currently have a 0.4% chance of making the playoffs. If that isn’t enough to convince you, you might as well be Han Solo as you shout, “Never tell me the odds!”

Here is another fact: Mike Conley is not healthy. As far as the medical staff is concerned, Conley himself said that there is no timetable for his return. He very well be be slowly progressing in his health, but he hasn’t looked explosive or anywhere close to game-ready in his workouts.

All things considered, this is the logical question: Why would you rush to bring back your best player, who is not close to being fully healthy, in order to help the team make the playoffs, which is a near statistical impossibility?

Tanking has become a popular idea for fans of the Memphis Grizzlies and for good reason. For a team that has no real chance of making the playoffs, it makes sense to be as bad as possible this year, so that they can add a potential superstar in the draft and make another run next year. Mediocrity is the worst place to be in the NBA, and major attempts to save the Grizzlies’ season could very well make them mediocre.

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Living to Fight Another Day

As a competitor, it is understandable that Mike Conley wants to return as soon as he possibly can to help the team. However, he has a long history of pushing himself past his limits, and it has reduced the longevity of his career. For once in his career, Mike Conley needs to allow this franchise to save him from himself. He needs to realize that the idea of saving this season is a fantasy.

It is in the best interest of both the Grizzlies and Conley for him to sit out the rest of the year. Allowing his body to become fully healthy will give Conley the chance to become the best version of himself once again. With the addition of a top draft pick, the Grizzlies will be right back in the mix again next year.

For Mike Conley, sitting out the rest of this year may feel like a failure. In reality, it will be a small defeat in preparation for a larger victory.