The Timberwolves veteran in the backcourt is not in an ideal state, but his role is still irreplaceable?

In a previous NBA Western Conference Finals G2 game, the Oklahoma City Thunder, who played at home, easily defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves again 118-103. After this game, the Thunder, who had won two big wins at home, widened the total score of the series to 2-0, and they also had an absolute advantage in this round of series.

Although the Timberwolves lost the game, the team's starting and backcourt veteran Mike Conley actually showed a certain strength. Conley played 28 minutes and 06 seconds in the game, made 1 of 6 shots and 1 of 4 from outside the three-point line, scored 3 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, and had 1 turnover and 2 fouls, with a plus-negative value of +14. It is worth mentioning that Conley is also the only player in the Timberwolves with a positive or negative value. It seems that his data is a mess, but his effect on the field is actually quite outstanding. Although Conley lacks scoring ability, limited shooting ability, and his data are relatively bleak, one thing is worthy of recognition. He also has a very good control ability. When he is on the court, the team's offense is still relatively reliable. Once Conley is substituted, the team's situation will take a sharp turn for the worse. It seems that Conley's personal ability has declined seriously, but he can still play a key role.

In the NBA regular season this season, Conley played 71 games in 82 games, averaging 24.7 minutes per game, averaging 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.2 blocks, and 1.1 turnovers and 1.6 fouls. He shot 40% from the field, 41% from three-point shooting percentage and 90% from free throws. In the playoffs, Conley averaged 24.5 minutes in the first 12 games, with averaging 24.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.1 blocks, and 0.8 turnovers and 1.6 fouls. He shot 32.5%, three-point shooting percentage 33.3%, and free throw shooting percentage 92.3%.

Conley's performance during the playoffs was not ideal. His offensive efficiency was very poor, his scoring ability was not fully utilized, and his effect on the court was also very unsatisfactory. Compared with the regular season, his performance regression is also very obvious, and he cannot play the role he should have. However, on the other hand, since the performance of the Timberwolves' bench players is even worse than that of Conley, Conley's role in the team is also irreplaceable. Judging from the current situation, although Conley's condition is not ideal and his ability has declined significantly, his role in the team is still irreplaceable. Perhaps the Timberwolves should also increase Conley's playing time next?