The Memphis Grizzlies have really been an amazing team to follow this season, especially recently. This team has dealt with so many injuries to key players, yet it stills look like it will safely be in the playoffs. With 11 games to play, Memphis is in fifth in the Western Conference and is six-and-a-half games clear of the team in ninth.
Not only are they likely to make the playoffs, but it seems like the Grizzlies are going to capture the fifth seed as well. Nobody expects them to do much of anything when they get into the playoffs considering they won't have Marc Gasol or Mario Chalmers, but this has still been a remarkable season for Memphis.
For the most part the injury news around the Grizzlies has been all negative. Point guard Mike Conley has been out for the last nine games with an Achilles injury and he is expected to miss a total of 3-4 weeks. When that prognosis came out, it seemed likely that Conley would miss the rest of the regular season but that may not be the case anymore as the Grizzlies expect him to return at some point before the playoffs begin.
With Conley out the Grizzlies have been extremely short at the point guard position. Ray McCallum, who just signed his second 10-day contract, has become the starter out of necessity. McCallum was on the Spurs earlier this year but was cut to make room for Andre Miller. Behind McCallum the Grizzlies have been allowing Lance Stephenson to play some point guard and he has thrived in that role.
Despite Stephenson's great play as a point guard the Grizzlies still need Conley back if they want any shot of beating the Clippers in what should be their first-round playoff matchup. Conley is no guarantee to be back before the end of the regular season but the good news is, based on this news, he should at the very least be back for the playoffs. Obviously the Grizzlies would like for Conley to be able to knock some of the rust off before the playoffs start, but having him on the court at all would be hugely helpful.
Through 56 games this season, Conley is averaging 15.3 points and 6.1 assists per game. The 28-year-old point guard will become a free agent after this season and would like to enter that process having demonstrated that his health is not a long-term concern.
