Why Mike Conley is primed for an excellent season in Minnesota
By Will Eudy
The Minnesota Timberwolves are in a position to have one of their most successful seasons ever. After the re-signing of Jaden McDaniels, the team has retained every one of the key free agents they needed to take care of during the offseason.
With Anthony Edwards at the helm and health permitting, this team has a chance to do something truly special. Minnesota boasts a rotation filled with star power, but one of the most overlooked players in the Wolves’ locker room is Mike Conley.
Entering his 17th professional season, Conley will bring a calm approach and veteran presence that will undoubtedly help the Timberwolves. Many may not know that he went through a relatively significant hardship during the end of last season when he first arrived in Minnesota.
Mike Conley dealt with a difficult circumstance last season
When Mike Conley was traded from the Utah Jazz to the Timberwolves at the February trade deadline, he did not have a lot of time to acclimate before jumping into team activities. One of the ways in which his transition process went less than smoothly was his moving process.
Conley reportedly was forced to live out of a hotel for the final ten weeks of the season while his family remained in Utah. It was not until Minnesota’s first-round playoff series against the Nuggets ended that he was able to properly move his family to their new city.
This was an understandably difficult situation that no doubt affected Conley’s day-to-day life. While he was far from awful for the Wolves last season, it is likely that this situation took an effect on his performance on the court as well.
With his feet now firmly on the ground coming into this season, Mike Conley should be set up for success that much more. Having a full offseason to prepare with his new teammates should work wonders for his production this year.