Reports: Mike Conley Returning To Jazz Starting Lineup Against Blazers

PORTLAND, Ore. – Utah point guard Mike Conley is set to return to the Jazz starting lineup against the Portland Trail Blazers.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon was the first to report Conley’s return to the Jazz starting five against the Blazers on Saturday, February 1.

Conley will replace Jazz forward Royce O’Neale in the starting lineup according to MacMahon.

Filed to ESPN — Per league sources, Mike Conley will return to the Jazz’s starting lineup tonight vs. Trail Blazers. He will replace Royce O’Neale, a valuable 3-and-D player who will continue to be a critical part of Utah’s rotation.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 1, 2020

This season, Conley is averaging 12.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 27.3 minutes per contest. He has played 28 games this season.

O’Neale holds averages of 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 29.5 minutes played per game this season. The forward has played in all 48 of Utah’s games this season.

With Conley’s addition to Utah’s starting lineup, Jazz head coach Quin Snyder will presumably send Mke Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Ingles, and Rudy Gobert on the court to open the game in Portland.

Saturday’s game will be Conley’s first start since December 17, 2019, against the Orlando Magic.

The Jazz point guard missed Utah’s last game against the Denver Nuggets on January 30 with soreness in his right knee.

Prior to the Nuggets game, Conley played six consecutive games coming off the bench after missing more than a month due to a hamstring injury.

As expected Conley will replace Royce O’Neal.

Always kind of felt like this might have been a sneaky reason Royce got his deal done mid season.

Good sign for the @UtahJazz. https://t.co/9BG4HAoYPK

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 1, 2020

In the six games since returning from the hamstring injury, Conley has averaged 8.8 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 19.5 minutes per game. He’s shot 44.7 percent overall and 19.0 percent from three-point range during January.

The Jazz own a 15-5 record in games without Conley on the court this season.

With Conley play, Utah has a 17-11 record.

Portland actually makes some sense to move back to the Conley/Mitchell backcourt because because Lillard and McCollum are relatively small.

Right now nobody had an answer for Lillard so it probably doesn’t make a ton of sense to worry about the O’Neale or Conley matchups.

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 1, 2020