In the professional league, teams that are young and full of talent but face ups and downs need a spiritual leader who can stabilize the rhythm and atmosphere in the lounge. Mike Conley has played such an important role for the Timberwolves in the past two seasons. He has the composure His temperament, steady rhythm control and calm decision-making and judgment all have a tangible and intangible impact on the team’s victory or defeat. He is also one of the contributors to the current record that ranks first in the Western Conference.
Averaged 10.5 points, 6.2 assists, 3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, and shot 42.5% from three-point range. This is the data of the 36-year-old Conley this season. For Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, he sometimes has to Instead of relying on Conley’s operations on both ends of the court, “My responsibilities are kind of back in Memphis, but now I have more talent around me.” Conley said, “I cherish being able to have this kind of trust at this age. It gives me a lot of confidence.” I have some extra motivation.”
When he first came to the Timberwolves, he replaced D’Angelo Russell. The first task Finch gave him was to create shooting opportunities for Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, but Finch didn’t want Conley to just be a babysitter, he also wanted him to be a player on the court. Threat, “I want him to take more shots and score more points to share Anthony’s pressure so that the opponent cannot distract and double-team.
Finch hopes that Conley will not just shoot jumpers and defend, but launch more offense to create opportunities, including cutting or picking and rolling with Gobert. “According to our internal data analysis, there is a difference in efficiency and scoring ratio between when the ball passes through his hands and when it does not.” A lot.” Finch said, “In other words, with him running the offense, the team will have better offensive efficiency.”
Conley does not need to be the focus of the offense, but needs to be involved and run the offensive operation. “We all hope that the ball can pass through and be in his hands.” Edwards said. In particular, Conley himself does not need the ball in his hands. He is still a threat when not holding the ball, and also unleashes Edward’s ball-holding attack.
Whether it’s corner three-pointers (top 10% in the league in field goal percentage) or top of the arc (top 12%), Conley also benefits from the fact that the Timberwolves have many offensive weapons that can open up the floor, allowing him to get many high-quality shots. Among the 45 players who averaged three outside shots per game, Conley’s percentage of completely open shots ranked fourth in the league.
According to CleaningtheGlass, the team’s efficiency rating is always positive when Conley is on the court and ranks in the top 10% of all defenders more than half the season. In the 2023-24 season, Conley’s plus-minus value on the court is 4.3, and off the court is 2, second only to the three major players.
Originally, after Conley entered his 30s, he understood that his role would become less and less important as he grew older, so he planned to become a defender who could shoot and defend in the next few years of his career. However, after coming to the Timberwolves, Finch hoped that Conley would not It was just jump shots and defense, but more about launching offenses to create opportunities, including cutting or pick-and-rolls with Gobert. “Honestly, I thought I would become a player who could catch and shoot in the corner and have defensive experience, but when I came to the Timberwolves, I feel more trusted and given more responsibility.”
When he first came to the Timberwolves in the 2022-23 season, Conley quickly won the trust of young players with his practical style of play and experience. In the regular season and playoffs, you can often see Edwards sitting next to Conley and asking him for advice that night. of what is right and what is wrong.
“Finch and the coaching staff believe that I can be a reliable player, and I have regained my old skills and energy, which feels good.” The experience of Conley and Gobert playing together in the Jazz for three seasons is also very important. Conley knows how to He delivers the ball safely to Gobert so that he can score easily, and he also knows how to cooperate with each other on defense. “Mike makes it a lot easier for me. Whether it is offense or defense, having him there means a sense of stability.”
Tim Connelly, the general manager of the Timberwolves, was not surprised by Conley’s good performance. They determined that Conley would be more suitable for the current Timberwolves than Russell before launching the trade. “We don’t need a point guard who takes a lot of shots, but can be comprehensive and comprehensive.” Keep the pace down,” Connelly said. “But I have to say, his current performance has exceeded our expectations.”
At present, Conley’s leadership, stability and substantive performance are irreplaceable. Therefore, the Timberwolves completed a two-year 21 million contract extension with Conley at the end of February 2024 in advance. “I want to ensure that he will not leave, at least he will It’s the only solution in this position right now,” Finch said.
The Timberwolves have experienced multiple injuries to their main players recently. Towns suffered a meniscus injury in his left knee and is out indefinitely and will undergo surgery in the near future. Gobert has also been on and off due to a leg injury, as well as Kyle Anderson (shoulder) and Monte Morris (leg). ) caused the Gray Wolves to lose four players in their main rotation.
This forced the Timberwolves to change from a rotation with a tall advantage to a small-ball lineup. In the recent game against the Lakers, Anthony Davis grabbed 10 offensive rebounds in one breath. At the same time, the Timberwolves fell behind 38-56 in rebounds. Also lost by 11 points.
2024-03-12 15:51:24
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