Ever since he came over via trade back in 2023, Mike Conley has overall been a positive presence for the Minnesota Timberwolves, both on and off the court. They have a win rate of 63.7 percent with Conley active, and even with the veteran point guard being 37 years of age, he continues to be a productive player for the squad even though his box score numbers, particularly during their 117-93 win over the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of their second-round matchup, don’t necessarily jump off the page.
In Game 2, Conley played just 17 minutes and put up a quiet stat line of six points, two rebounds, and two assists. But he played a huge part in setting the tone for the Timberwolves in their brilliant start in the first quarter that had them well in position for a wire-to-wire victory, and Julius Randle credited him for the part he played even though he’s old as dirt in NBA terms.
“To be 50 years old and still come out and defend and play with the effort the way [Mike Conley] does… I’ve talked all year about the kind of leader that he is for our team and how he keeps us balanced,” Randle said in his postgame presser, via the official ClutchPoints account on X (formerly Twitter).
Conley is no longer the player he once was during his heyday. He has lost a step or two and he’s been more exploitable than ever on the defensive end. But what he is is a culture-setter and someone who shows up every night as a stabilizing force that the Timberwolves look towards in times of adversity.
Julius Randle shouts out Timberwolves’ veterans
Julius Randle is finding life with the Timberwolves to be a good one; he credited head coach Chris Finch for the tough love he gives, and he was very grateful of how guys like Mike Conley and Joe Ingles are able to help him with the emotional side of the game.
“[Conley], Joe Ingles, those guys are guys [whose contributions] don’t necessarily show up on the box sheet and not necessarily show all the time in numbers and all that different type of stuff. But who he is for our team as far as a veteran, how he’s able to pull me to the side, how Joe’s able to pull me to the side when I’m frustrated, keep me level-headed, let me get my frustration out but keep me level-headed, he keeps me focused,” Randle added.
“Those guys are huge for our team and a lot of the stuff that they do goes unnoticed. Behind closed doors, on the bench, on the plane, those guys are huge for us.”
More must-reads: