Warriors' Green: Didn't expect Conley to play, won't play him timid

The Golden State Warriors were admittedly ill-prepared for the return of Mike Conley to the Memphis Grizzlies' lineup for Game 2.

Conley came back earlier than expected after undergoing surgery to repair a facial fracture, rejoining his squad in a protective mask and earning several new nicknames in the process. That helped propel Memphis to a series-tying win, but the Warriors don't sound worried.

That could be, in part, because Conley's return caught them off guard. Knowing he's back and preparing as such could swing things back in their favor, if Draymond Green is to be believed.

"Honestly, we didn't prepare for Mike to play," Green said Friday. "We just didn't expect him to."

Even if he had known, Green probably wouldn't have adjusted his intensity levels. He came under some fire for connecting with Conley's injured face when fighting for a loose ball, something Green said would be the same whether or not Conley was hurt or in a mask.

"No. I'm still going to go after the ball," Green said. "There's no intention to hit him in his face, but he had the ball by his face. He ain't play timid scoring 22 points and changing the game. So what am I going to play timid for if he's got a mask on?"

Conley said that the contact shocked him and caused a bit of pain but generally didn't seem to upset him.

The focus on the contact may be a case of there being a shortage of issues to discuss with three off days between Games 2 and 3. The series gets back underway Saturday in Memphis.