Utah Jazz: Three pros and cons of loss to Nuggets

Mike Conley picks up right were he left off

In the last game against the Portland Trail-Blazers, Mike Conley scored 22 points and looked comfortable and healthy for once.

Last night he followed it up with 21 points and five made treys. When Jokic got switched onto Mountain Mike on the perimeter, Conley made him pay with a slick step back three pointer.

There’s no doubt that Conley’s presence helps the Jazz run a better seven man rotation. He’s good at stopping fast breaks by picking up breakaway ball handlers in the backcourt, and fouling. He gives up some size on the defensive end, especially when paired with Donovan Mitchell, but overall he’s a positive to the Jazz.

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Conley added eight boards and five assists with only two turnovers. Was it the headband that did the trick last night?

Was it the extra practice sessions he’s got in since being fully healthy? Whatever has been helping Conley the past two games, the Jazz need to find it and make sure Conley is playing well for this critical stretch run.

He has silenced doubters suggesting he should be shipped off this trade deadline, and will continue to do so. The Jazz traded a lot of pieces to acquire Conley, and he simply has to win the point guard matchup more often than not to help the Jazz reach their true ceiling.