The Minnesota Timberwolves are tied 1-1 with the Los Angeles Lakers. While much of the concern heading into the series was around Rudy Gobert, specifically regarding switches onto Luka Dončić, Rudy has held up well. Notably, Luka has shot just 40 percent with Gobert as his primary defender. The Lakers' hunting Gobert didn't work in Game 1, and they changed up their offensive strategy for a more balanced approach in Game 2.
Nevertheless, Mike Conley seems to be a real concern for the Timberwolves. The 37-year-old has struggled this year, and the Lakers are proving to be a brutal matchup for him. Let's dive into Conley's challenges against the Lakers and the Timberwolves' options moving forward.
Mike Conley's struggles this season and against the Lakers
After a quality season last year, Conley showed clear signs of decline this season. Conley averaged 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while shooting 40 percent from the field. Two games into the playoffs, and things seem worse for Conley. He is averaging just 4.5 points while shooting 30 percent from the field, which includes a scoreless Game 2.
In addition to his obvious scoring and efficiency struggles, the 6-foot point guard is also a tough matchup for the Lakers' elite positional size. Conley gives the Lakers a clear player to target defensively. He has averaged 22 minutes per game, including a slight reduction from his 24.7 minutes in the regular season. However, it's worth wondering if Conley's minutes should be further reduced in favor of Donte DiVincenzo and/or Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Chris Finch will notoriously ride whoever is playing the best, so it seems unlikely that Conley will be on the floor if there is a close game in this series.
Reducing Conley's minutes isn't a no-brainer
At first glance, the decision to reduce Conley's minutes might seem obvious. However, Conley still provides the Timberwolves with solid value. His playmaking is a stabilizing force for Minnesota's offense. While Conley's 2 assists per game in the playoffs don't jump off the page, he is still the Timberwolves' most trusted playmaker and key to orchestrating the offense. Conley is especially important to getting Gobert involved offensively.
Neither DiVincenzo nor Alexander-Walker is a natural playmaker or point guard. If you had to point out a weakness in Anthony Edwards' game, it would undoubtedly be his playmaking. Having no natural playmaker is especially an issue against a Lakers team that is loaded with playmakers. Significantly reducing Conley's minutes is inherently risky for that reason.
When Conley is on the court, the Timberwolves' offense is a plus-8.4 in the playoffs. Highlighting the impact he has as a playmaker. However, their defense is a plus-6.9, showcasing the limitations his size poses.
Ultimately, it's a tough call what Conley's role should be for the rest of the series. His lack of scoring, efficiency, and defense clearly hurt the team. However, his playmaking is key to Minnesota's offense. Conley's 3-point shooting (currently 33 percent in the playoffs but 41 percent in the regular season) could make or break his impact. If his 3-point shooting can get back to a high level, the pros could outweigh the cons; if not, he could hurt the Timberwolves too much to justify playing him much. Conley's impact and minutes will be something to monitor for the rest of the series.