One of the major talking points around the Minnesota Timberwolves this offseason has been their point guard room. With Mike Conley turning 38 before the season starts and Rob Dillingham unproven entering his second year, some of these concerns are understandable. Many people have seemingly written off Conley as he showed signs of decline last season.
However, I think that Conley will show people he still has something left in the tank. Yes, Conley probably won't exceed 25 minutes or 10 points per game, but he'll be impactful in his role as he was last year.
Mike Conley has declined, but he's still impactful
Conley's counting stats of 24.7 minutes, 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 40/41/90 shooting splits from last year don't offer much promise. He further declined to 6 points on 30.2 percent shooting from the field in the playoffs. Regardless, Conley's playmaking and ability to orchestrate the offense were vital to the Wolves last season.
For a team that generally lacks playmaking, Conley's ability to stabilize the offense is especially valuable. Even as he ages another year, Conley's basketball IQ will always allow him to make a positive impact. Impressively, Conley averaged 4.5 assists and just 1.1 turnovers last season.
Conley posted a +3.1 net on/off difference in the regular season and a +8.2 in the playoffs. The veteran guard also elevates Rudy Gobert's game; this duo had a +8.9 net rating together. This shows that Conley is undoubtedly still a positive contributor.
The Ohio State product can't score or create for himself at a high level anymore. But in a facilitator role, that's perfectly fine, and the Wolves still can benefit from his skill set. Additionally, Conley is still a knockdown shooter, especially when spoting-up. Notably, last season, Conley shot 43.3 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s and 41 percent from beyond the arc overall. Shooting will always be valuable, and this will help Conley continue to make a positive impact.
Sure, there's reason to be concerned about the 6-foot guard's defense. But the truth is, most point guards aren't great defenders, and Minnesota has the perfect personnel to make up for that. Conley isn't a 25-minute-plus-a-game guy anymore, and his regression as a self-creator is real. He'll likely sit out on back-to-back games as well. Nevertheless, Conley is still poised to make a positive impact in a more limited role this season, and how impactful he still is might surprise you.