“Godsend”: Mike Conley Changed Wolves’ Dynamics Despite Anthony Edwards Contrast, per Micah Nori

The current Timberwolves roster etched a spot for themselves in the history books of the NBA. By defeating the defending champions, Denver Nuggets, 4-3 in the Semifinals series, they will now head to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the 2003-04 season. The credit for the franchise’s success is mostly being showered upon 22-year-old Anthony Edwards. However, the shooting guard wouldn’t have managed to bring them to this stage without receiving much-needed help from Mike Conley Jr, a contrasting personality.

A few hours ago, Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori sat down for an interview with Colin Cowherd. The topic of discussion shifted towards discussing Mike Conley Jr., and whether he is just the “perfect point guard” to have been paired up with the ‘Ant-Man’. Nori stated what made an Anthony Edwards-Mike Conley partnership work so well is the contrast between the duo’s nature.

“You’ve got two very, very different personalities, but they sit together on the plane, they sit together in the film room,” said the assistant coach. “It’s almost like Ant (Edwards) has that bravado and that swagger that Mike, who is a very reserved and quiet guy, probably just sits there and is in awe of this guy. At the end of the day, Mike Conley has been a godsend for all of us.”

Nori stated that when the 36-year-old was traded to the Timberwolves back in February 2023, he knew that this would be an individual who was a great second to a fruitful partnership. After all, both he and Rudy Gobert were a memorable duo during their tenure with the Utah Jazz. While Conley has made his effort in continuing to help out Rudy Gobert during their ongoing Timberwolves days as well, his partnership with Anthony Edwards is what has the caught of several NBA enthusiasts and analysts.

“Sh*t, we got Mike Conley back”: Anthony Edwards was ecstatic post-Game 6 win!

The Minnesota Timberwolves faced a major setback in the aftermath of Game 5, as another loss had caused the score to go 3-2 in favor of the Nuggets. Another loss and the Timberwolves would have been eliminated from the tournament for good. However, the tide turned in their favor the next game, as the franchise was able to defeat Nikola Jokic and Co. by an astonishing 45-point gap (115-70). During the post-game press conference, Anthony Edwards was asked about the catalyst that allowed his team to perform so well.

Did the team benefit from Edwards’ individual scoring prowess? Was there a lack of defense from the Nuggets’ side? Was it the home-court advantage? As it turns out, the answer was neither.

“Sh*t, we got Mike Conley back,” said Edwards during the presser. “That was it.”

Mike Conley had been absent from the main lineup during Game 5 after suffering from an Achilles ailment. Fortunately, the same did not allow him to be absent for long. He returned in Game 6 and dropped a score of 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists over a 31-minute time period.

This score was significantly higher than the average he had set during the first round of the playoffs. Combined with the 20+ points that Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels had each made during the game, it helped the franchise defeat the Nuggets by one of the biggest margins seen in a playoff game this tournament.

During his 17-year career with the NBA, Mike Conley had been 0-4 when it came to Game 7 clashes. With this most recent win, not only has that streak broken, but the player may even have a very good chance of possessing a Championship ring.