Official Game Thread: Grizzlies at Hawks

[AHF]

They also held Conley out when he was capable of playing to ensure the successful tank and to preserve their trade asset.  Remember how he returned to full workouts and then decided to have optional surgery to shut down his season?  It was something he could have had done at any time but opted to do in the middle of the season in order to ensure he would maximum number of games.  The Grizzlies tank job led to shutting him down, not any immediate need.

"Mike - you know that surgery you were planning to have this offseason?  Go ahead and have it now so we can lose a bunch of games.  It will make sure you are healthy when we put you on the trade block and make sure you are healthy when you play for your next team."

He was originally planning to get the surgery in the offseason where he would have had a window to fully recover by the time the next season started.  Instead, they held pulled that forward and held him out for four more months to ensure the tank.

Quote

“He always knew he could have done this. He wanted to avoid it,” said Mike Conley Sr., who also is his son’s agent. “It wasn’t like he saw somebody and they said he needed to do it."

Why get him to return, when you are losing on purpose?  It was the smart play for a tanking Memphis team.

[AHF]

It is funny that the Hawks winning 24 games is tanking but the Grizzlies winning 22 games is competing the right way!  You know, all those playoff teams who start guys like Andrew Harrison and Jarrell Martin.  A true focus on winning!