As you know, this season's Timberwolves are very impressive. After a narrow win over the Lakers in their last game, the Timberwolves' current record has arrived24-7, continuing to sit in first place in the West and leading the Thunder (21-9) behind them by 25 wins.
Needless to say, the core of this Timberwolves teamEdwards + Downs + Gobert, all three have All-Star level strength, and in addition, youngMcDaniels, Alexander Walker, Naz ReidThey all played very impressive performances. Not to be ignored, there is also their veteran point guardMike Conley
In the last game against the Lakers, for example, Conley played 33 minutes, shooting 4-of-11 from the field, 4-of-9 from three-point range, and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line15 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal, in the fourth quarter, Conley won a single quarter8 points。With 3:40 left to go, the Timberwolves led by just one point at 94-93, and Conley first answered a pass from Towns and hit a bottom corner three-pointer, then assisted Edwards for a three-pointer to make it 100-95 again
35 leftOne second ago, the Timberwolves led by four points at 104-100, and it was Conley who scored another key three-pointer after receiving a pass from Edwards, widening the gap to seven points - at the speed of the LakersWithout this three-pointer, the Timberwolves really can't win
Conley is currently 36 years oldHe is the oldest player on this Timberwolves team, 5 years older than the second-oldest Gobert, but despite his aged, his performance may be the most stable. Conley has played in 31 games so far, averaging 29 per game5 minutes, get it11.7 points 29 rebounds 62 assists 10 steals, fifth on the team in scoring, first in assists, and second in steals.
There are a few points worth noting:1Conley's scoring efficiency is outstanding, the current three hit percentages are:, true hit rate, the above four numbers are career highs. 2. Conley's main scoring method is three-point shooting, and he has to shoot every game5.4 notesThree-point, more than 63% of his shots are outside the three-point line, and his accuracy is quite good, and the shooting rate has reachedConley ranks second in three-point shooting percentage after Malik Beasley (6. per game) among players who have averaged at least five three-pointers per game and played in at least 20 games across the league3 shots, 468%)。
3. Conley's three-pointers from the big open (the most recent defender is more than 6 feet) has a particularly good grasp, and so far this season, the big open three-pointers have been total64 of 132 shots, the hit rate has reachedConley's ability to control errors is unbeatableSo far this season, a total of 192 assists, only appeared35 timesTurnovers, turnovers are almost the same as steals (31), and his assist-to-turnover ratio is reached, the league range is only greater than that of Tyus Jones (6.).77), Paul (600) The two teams have a low main control. 5. Conley's defense is not as bad as his size shows, or even the complete opposite, statistically, Conley's defenders against the position this season,Three-point shooting percentage dropped by 31%, two-point shooting percentage decreased by 25%
The stats also show Conley's importance to the Timberwolves, so far this season: - when Conley is on the floorThe Timberwolves have an offensive and defensive efficiency of 1147/105.4. Beat the opponent 9 in 100 rounds3 points- Conley is not presentThe Timberwolves have an offensive and defensive efficiency of 1087/108.4. Beat the opponent 0 in 100 rounds3 pointsConley's cumulative presence plus/minus is currently, third on the team, behind Edwards (+209) and Gobert (+194), with Downs (+146) behind him.
At this point, I have to admire the operation of the Wolves tube last season, preferring the older Conley to the younger Russell, given Conley's consistency and role in the locker roomThe deal changed the Timberwolves in a way, which directly transformed the Timberwolves from a fringe team in the playoffs last season to a championship powerhouse this season.
Former NBA player and three-time Sixth Man of the YearJamal CrawfordThat's what Conley said: ".Conley is the most underrated point guard in the NBA so far this season, and he's been underrated throughout his careerAt this point in his career, he can still be so efficient, which is really impressive, both on and off the court, he is a key factor in the Timberwolves' ability to rank first in the West. ”
This season is Conley's 17th season in the NBA, and in his previous 16th season, he played a lot of playoff games, but there are not many real opportunities to compete for championships, and this year will be a very good opportunityAnd he's still in his contract yearIf he can win the championship, then what awaits him must be a large pension contract.