It’s been evident since Mike Conley joined the Minnesota Timberwolves in February of 2023 via trade that Chris Finch is quite fond of him. It’s understandable why, as the 19-year veteran has been one of the league’s top floor generals throughout his career.
Now 38 years old, it’s become noticeable that Conley has shown some regression on both ends. Not to say he can’t provide any value, but now that it’s playoff time, it’s a risky proposition to play him. After Game 1, Finch showed he still sees him as a postseason rotation guy, and I don’t expect that to change in Game 2.
After the Timberwolves re-acquired Conley after they traded him (he was traded again and subsequently waived, which opened the door for him to return to Minnesota), the former All-Star was often outside the rotation. Finch made it known how difficult it was for him not to play Conley by even saying that it “feels like a crime against humanity.”
Can the Timberwolves count on Conley all series?
With both Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels missing much of the end of the season, Conley received six starts late in the regular season. Still, with the team having everyone available to begin the playoffs, and Bones Hyland seemingly having a firm placement ahead of him on the guard depth chart, it was hard to see Conley getting much time.
Game 1 saw Finch use a different strategy than the past couple of postseasons as he played 10 guys, all of them seeing action in the first quarter. By the end of the game, Conley’s nearly 11 minutes were the third most amongst Minnesota reserves, only behind Ayo Dosunmu and Naz Reid.
Now, Conley didn’t have a bad time on the court. He made his only shot (a corner 3-pointer), and dished out two assists without a turnover. Finch turned to him for about four minutes of the third quarter. Meanwhile, Hyland didn’t come off the bench in the entire second half.
Bones did not have a good game, but he also played only just over five minutes. At this stage of their careers, Hyland is going to put a lot more pressure on the opposing defense. There’s a reason that he and Dosunmu have garnered the nickname ‘Twin Turbos’. The trust that Bones gave the coaching staff shouldn’t have been thrown to the back burner because of one five-minute stint.
Maybe Conley can continue having performances that don’t necessarily hurt the team. The 2007 first-round pick really had difficulty in the 2025 playoffs, though, as well as with his shooting accuracy for the majority of this season.
With the Wolves down 0-1, Finch’s trust in the longtime veteran could backfire if Minnesota is disposed of in the opening round.
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