Rookie point guard Mike Conley participated in a second straight contact practice, and continued to provide encouraging signs that his return is near.

Head coach Marc Iavaroni and the medical staff said Thursday that the decision for Conley to resume play in an NBA game will be mostly up to Conley. The fourth overall draft pick said he isn’t working with a specific timetable.

He simply wants to feel confident that his right shoulder can absorb routine physical punishment. Conley’s shoulder received high marks during one sequence when he set a hard pick to free up a teammate for an open jump shot.