Mike Conley Left The Bubble, What Does That Mean For The Jazz?

Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley left the NBA bubble to be with his wife, who gave birth to their third son. What does this mean for the team heading into a first round series with the Denver Nuggets?

Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley left the Orlando bubble this morning and returned to Columbus, Ohio for the birth of his son.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2020

Head coach Quin Snyder told the media via Skype that he frankly wasn’t sure who would start in the former all star’s place. The team would later announce rookie forward Juwan Morgan would step in.

In a shocker, Jazz’s fifth starter will be … Juwan Morgan.

— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) August 17, 2020

Who the hell is Juwon Morgan?

Averaging just 1.7 points per game last year, the nod for Morgan shocked plenty in the game. The Twitter streets were riddled with people wondering exactly who the Jazz were relying on for a big opening series.

The rookie forward spoke about the unexpected role.

“It’s OK to be a little nervous. I think that can be a good thing, because it can make you urgent. That’s what we need.”

Pretending a playoff start out of left field doesn’t make you nervous would be a blatant lie to not only his audience, but himself. He seems to understand the moment and wants to attack the situation without fake expectations over his head.

So When can Mike Conley return?

If Conley tests negative every day he misses, he would have to serve a four day quarantine period in Orlando before returning to the court. With most games coming just a day apart from another, the series could fly by without Conley. Never forget the addition of Mike Conley was made ONLY because of Donovan Mitchell’s struggles to run the show in last year’s playoffs.

Expect the Utah Jazz to struggle scoring without the veteran presence of Mike Conley. Their only hope seems to be if he can somehow return to the team before it’s too late…