In The Video Room Pt. 2: Mike Conley
Welcome inside the video Room everybody I’m Michael Grady and I’m joined by Minnesota Mike pull up Conley [Applause] Money Mike connley point guard of your Minnesota Timberwolves and Mike I appreciate you joining me I remember the word that I he heard thrown around a lot at the start of training camp was
Maturity to have a mature approach headed into this season so many games were lost in the down the stretch last season there were a number of games that on paper you felt like the team should have won it came a little short end that has not been the case this season that’s
A message from the coaching staff from the players what was the attitude day one in training camp day one for us was you know trying to get rid of that that that trauma that you know almost like a PTSD of sorts for for losing games like
That where you come into a game and you know you’re up Five Points going into the third quarter and you’re like hey guys don’t lose the lead like we always do like that’s not the mindset we need to have we need to start stacking our our quarters just like man let’s be
Better than the last quarter let’s just continue to move forward and that kind of mindset has kind of allowed us to you know let other stuff float to the side and concentrate on what we need to do in the games and um it’s allowing us to win
Those games now you’ve been a part of young groups that that turn things around and we had a conversation before about mindset about how it shouldn’t just be about let’s get to the playoffs we want bigger and better could you kind of expound on that I’ve been a part of
Some teams who started the ground up and jumped in on some teams that were built ready to win and what I’ve learned is your mindset has to be consistent in the fact that you can’t come in thinking that we’re okay winning 40 games or okay being in the eighth seed or seventh seed
Or okay making a playoff win or two your mindset is got to be I want to win a championship and then all those other things that you accomplish along the way are accomplished Conley want three so you kind of hold yourself to a higher standard in everything you do you
Know whether it’s nutrition your body work ethic you know on the court off the court like all that stuff is is consistently the same every day and um and that’s what I’m striving to do for myself and for the team you know this year here comes connley the other way
Pull up three boom Timberwolves on fire and you you played for a long time you have all the tricks in the bag this is decision making here against the Sixers so this is a side picking roll Rudy does a good job of sprinting Out Ant Rises up
A little bit early from the corner which kind of makes it a little bit easier to read because now I’m reading if Nick patum who normally is the only guy that can help on Rudy’s role um if he does any kind of you know look off or like
Pays attention to Rudy at all or just puts his attention that way I’m thinking I’m throwing it the ant immediately if if he doesn’t if he stays attached to uh ant I’m looking at Rudy and then I’m looking at the backside guy there was is Tobi Harris if he pulls over I’m biging
Crosscourt to cat if he gets to the corner so all those things kind of pop off really quickly I pick the ball up and kind of hesitate to look at Rudy to see what Nick’s going to do and we teach Rudy to try to get behind that big as
Quickly as he can on that rooll U which he did there and anytime he does that it just puts pressure you see Nick just take two steps that way you know it was enough enough time to get an A good look how Dynamic does it make this offense
It’s continues to be a work in progress but we’ve seen the high shooting percentage um this season how much easier does it make your job knowing that you have weapons that that bring gravity toward them my game is so easy right now it’s just like guess the
Easiest has been in a long time where I just I just got to make reads like I really do I I don’t have to do too much I can set the table for these guys who I know can make plays so I just go out
There and try to run the show as best I can and continue to to to make those plays when we need them all right talk about making plays when you eat them when you go to this sequence here yeah this is a this is a big moment moment
During the season I think uh really test this late game you got 30 something seconds left we don’t call timeout you know we’re trying to catch him while they’re not set and we give our balls the best player uh ant makes a play he looks weak side and you know I was
Hoping he’d find me I just sitting there spot up and and ready to shoot it uh when my number was called and and made the shot but you give ant credit there man that’s a growth moment for him we talked about that you know preseason even last year I don’t think he makes
That play I think he tries to shoot that and maybe not get the best look you know just him being able to trust his guys at a late game like this a big moment says a lot about him I know he’s talking to coaches but but he has to be talking to
You the point guard how how how many conversations have you guys had about keeping your head up and making those those reads we talk about it all the time I I reference other guys in the league all the time that are kind of took the path that he’s taken a young
Star and had to grow into a guy that also is a playmaker for his team cuz they create so much gravity and um he’s defin one of those guys cat’s one of those guys Rudy’s one of those guys where you can say hey man all you got to
Do is make the easy play just sometimes might just be your quick swing right across the top of the court and just because you’re not making the assist doesn’t mean that you didn’t make the right play somebody’s going to get a good look and we’ve built this team in a
Way that we’ve got a lot of depth a lot of guys who can help you so I think he’s realizing that and this moment I think really helped him develop that a little bit more oh back door Edwards two hand throw down [Applause]
Michael Grady sits down with Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley to talk about the 2023-24 NBA season and the veteran’s game.
