Mike Conley was pulled from the starting lineup in favor of Donte DiVincenzo just hours before the Minnesota Timberwolves' season started. However, the 39-year-old still plays a key role in the Wolves' rotation. 13 games into the season, Conley is averaging 20.8 minutes, 6.2 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.0 rebounds on 42.1/47.4/100 shooting splits.
Unfortunately, at 38, Conley has taken another step back. His minutes and points are career lows, as they were last season. While this is unfortunate, it's not much of a surprise given Conley's play last season and that he averaged just 6.0 points on 30 percent shooting in the playoffs.
I wouldn't argue that Conley is a complete negative for the Wolves; he is still an incredibly smart player who can organize the offense at a high level, and he's an efficient spot-up shooter. He's had a fantastic career and has been a key part of the Wolves' recent success. Nevertheless, it's clear he is at the end of his career and is best utilized in a limited role.
Mike Conley's flaws are undeniable, but the Wolves still need him
The biggest problem with Conley is his lack of self-creation. A staggering 91.7 percent of his made field goals are assisted, which is up from 69.5 percent last season. Conley is shooting an abysmal 36.4 percent at the rim (seventh percentile) on just .8 attempts per game. It's far from uncommon for a smaller 38-year-old guard to not have the same shot-creation burst and advantage creation, but it still hurts the team.
Having such a limited creator in the backcourt next to Anthony Edwards is challenging, as it allows defenses to key in on Ant more. Of course, having DiVincenzo in the starting lineup helps alleviate this a bit. Still, you have to play Ant and Conley sometimes. Thus far, this duo hasn't fared well, posting a -7.1 net rating.
While the Wolves' point guard by committee approach has worked so far, will it come playoff time?
At 6-foot with declining mobility, Conley is also a defensive target. His IQ helps him there, but he can still be exposed on defense. Come playoff time, this blend of a lack of shot creation, size, and defense could be especially problematic.
The Timberwolves are in a tricky spot with Conley. He, Rob Dillingham, and Bones Hyland are the Wolves' lone rotational point guards. Chris Finch has shown that he doesn't trust Dillingham, giving him just 11.2 minutes per game. This has upset Wolves fans, given Dillingham's upside and ability to create for himself. He simply provides the Wolves' backcourt a more dynamic element than Conley. Regardless, at this point, it's clear that Finch trusts Conley more.
It's unlikely that the Wolves will pull Conley from the rotation entirely. Frankly, I don't think this is the best idea, as mentioned, his blend of stabilizing playmaking and spot-up shooting should allow him to play some sort of role.
However, it's clear that Conley is best utilized in a limited role, perhaps even more limited than the 20 minutes per game he is receiving. Unless a move is made, the Wolves will have to live with the highs of Conley's playmaking and the lows of his shot creation and defense.