Mike Conley is returning 3 weeks early from his lower back injury

Six-to-eight weeks. That was the expected amount of time Grizzlies’ guard Mike Conley projected to sit after a scary lower back injury in late November. But Memphis’ Chris Vernon reported Conley completed Friday shootaround ahead of the Grizzlies’ matchup with the Kings and will play in the game.

Conley suffered a transverse process fracture while taking a charge in a Nov. 28 game against the Hornets. It appears his lower back made contact with Charlotte’s Frank Kaminsky’s knees.

Over the summer, Memphis signed Conley to the largest contract in NBA history — a five-year deal worth $153 million. Excluding their Nov. 28 loss to the Hornets, the Grizzlies are 7-2 since their star point guard went down with an injury.

Conley has a history of returning early from injuries. In 2015, the Grizzlies guard fractured his orbital bone, but opted for surgery because “if it was the quickest one for me to play, that’s the one I was gonna do. I just wanted to do whatever I could to get back out there.”

The year before, Conley played through a foot injury he described as “constantly walking on a golf ball.” There was inflammation and swelling on top of his pre-existing plantar fasciitis. But did that keep him from the court?

“I don’t want to shut down,” Conley said. “I’d like to be playing and in a rhythm going into the playoffs as opposed to sitting. But I’ve a had a bad little stretch with injuries. I don’t know what the smart thing to do is but I’m going to do the right thing for myself and the team.”

Conley is averaging a career-high 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 46.7 percent from deep and 89.7 percent from the foul line this season. Memphis is currently 18-9, standing fifth in the Western Conference, but the team’s best bet is having its $153 million man on the floor.