Mike Conley explains the method to Anthony Edwards' madness

The biggest reason the Minnesota Timberwolves are looked at as one of the NBA's top championship contenders in 2024-25 is Anthony Edwards. Outsiders and naysayers can try to argue Ant is replaceable, but he is not. The Timberwolves' ceiling is significantly lower if you replace Edwards with a lesser player.

Ant has quickly (and rightly) become one of the most beloved figures in all of Minnesota. His tremendous individual skill coupled with his unique personality make him one of the most lovable stars in the NBA, and the perfect franchise player for the Timberwolves.

Edwards really seems to get along well with everyone on the team, which is no surprise. But one of the teammates he may be closest with is Mike Conley. This week, Conley went on 100.3 FM KFAN with Dan Barreiro and discussed in-depth about his talented teammate.

When asked about how he communicates with Ant, Mike gave a detailed answer. "With him especially, I think it's being direct and honest," Conley said. "With his personality, he can take over a room, as you know. With his voice and the way that his aura is ... It's easy for guys to take a backseat and just let him go and start talking."

Conley gave insight into Edwards' unique personality

This feels like the perfect depiction of who Ant is. His personality is so large that it seems natural for it to sometimes take over a room. But Mike explained how he has learned to push back on Edwards in a healthy way.

"Sometimes you have to be like, 'hey, alright, refocus on this. This is what we're doing instead of that.' Or, he might call you out for something, you call him out right back. 'You got to be better at this. I'll do my job, you do yours.' Just allowing him to understand that it's a constructive way to speak to each other."

This is the brilliance of a seasoned, veteran leader like Mike Conley. With he and Edwards being 14 years apart in age, one might think that basic communication could be more difficult than between teammates of a similar age. But Mike has learned how to relate to his young superstar.

In doing this, Conley has formed a real connection with Ant. "That's why he's so special to me. He has the ability to dish out that kind of leadership and tell people stuff, and then at the same time realize, 'oh, maybe I was wrong.' or 'my bad, Mike. Next time I'll do that.' So that's important to have at a young age."

This gives us an even greater view of Anthony Edwards' endearing personality. We can obviously tell from the outside that Ant's leadership style works based on the numbers in the win column, but to hear the intricacies of how he is learning and growing will no doubt only make Timberwolves fans love him even more.