Before the season started, the Grizzlies first road trip was one rookie Mike Conley was looking forward to. With tonight’s game at Seattle, Conley would have loved the chance to show Sonics rookie Kevin Durant that he was going to give him a run for the money in the chase for rookie of the year honors. Then, on the team’s next stop in Portland, he would have gone up against childhood best friend Greg Oden, the top pick in June’s NBA draft, marking the first time the two would be opponents rather than teammates.

Now it’s highly unlikely none of that will happen. Oden’s season ended before it began when he underwent season-ending knee surgery. And when the Grizzlies face Durant and the Sonics tonight, the chances are slim that Conley will see the court. While Durant, the No. 2 pick, has been as good as advertised, averaging 24 points a game, Conley is still waiting to make his NBA debut.

Conley did not appear in the Grizzlies first two games. It’s the first time in his life he has had to learn how to sit on the bench. So far, the 19-year-old point guard who was the fourth player taken overall last June is taking things in stride.

“It’s pretty tough,” Conley said. “There’s two ways you can handle it. You can take it hard and pout about and sit in the corner, or something. Or you can just keep working, and I decided to just keep working. I’m not worried about it. I’m still trying to keep my head up and do the things to get out there on the court.”