At 35, Mike Conley thought he had seen it all in the NBA, but this 2022/23 season finally managed to surprise him. First, because he was transferred for the first time during the season, moving from Utah to Minnesota during the “trade deadline”, an exchange which forced him to adapt on the fly. If he found his former teammate Rudy Gobert there, the veteran leader discovered the phenomenon Anthony Edwards.
Guest of the podcast “The VC Show” hosted by Vince Carter, his former teammate in Memphis, Mike Conley said a little more about what impressed him in the behavior of the back of the Wolves, led to become a superstar of the NBA.
“What did I like first about him? I would first say his mentality. He has that mindset that some of the greatest players have. Like, ‘I want to defend on this guy. I know he’s the best player opposite, I want him for me tonight. I know I’m the best offensive player on our team, but I want to take this duel. And I want to do that too. Every minute of every game, it’s something that’s important for him, to be there.” did he declare. “It’s not usual for me to see this, especially so young. To have grasped this stuff at such a young age, it is important. There’s his defense, but also his ability to score, his shooting, his physicality, he plays aggressively, and he has all those things that you can’t really teach. These are all things that make him a special player. He is only 21 years old, and we can hope that he will continue to progress”.
Twenty-one years old and already the reflexes of a leader
For Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards already has all the reflexes of a good leader, through his humility and his desire to know everything, in order to control as many details as possible.
His progress at all levels was confirmed in the first round of the playoffs against the Nuggets, the future NBA champions, against whom he still shot more than 30 points on average with big percentages.
“He has this thing. He takes responsibility. He’ll be the first to say he’s the guy who missed a rotation, or screwed up on something. He’s going to walk into the locker room and say, ‘I’m going to catch up’ to start with, before he starts talking to the other players. This is true leadership behavior. He is not only on the field setting an example for his way of working, but he also uses his voice. He understands the game. The more he continues to understand the game well, the easier it will be for him to talk to others, to correct a teammate. When you know literally every aspect of offense and defense, the whole playbook, the scout reports… When you know all of that, you can stop at somebody and say, ‘You should rather stand here ‘. It is something important”.
Avoid talking to say nothing
Mike Conley also praised the quality of the Minnesota locker room, where he was quickly integrated and where he feels listened to and supported. He also contributed modestly to advancing Anthony Edwards in the second half of the season by sharing his experience, which remains valuable for the rest of the group in Minneapolis.
“It’s like having children, running around. You’re going to tell them something over and over again. And one fine day, they finally do, and you tell yourself that they’re going in the right direction. But really, it’s great to know that you’ve been able to help people along the way. Honestly, that’s all I care about now.”he continued. “Nobody wants to be that guy whose words have no effect because he talks too much. There are also guys who are going to talk all the time, and most of the time it will be negative comments. You have to know when to take a step back, be discreet, let someone else do it”.
| Anthony Edwards | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2020-21 | MIN | 72 | 32 | 41.7 | 32.9 | 77.6 | 0.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 19.3 |
| 2021-22 | MIN | 72 | 34 | 44.1 | 35.7 | 78.6 | 0.9 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 21.3 |
| 2022-23 | MIN | 79 | 36 | 45.9 | 36.9 | 75.6 | 0.6 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 24.6 |
| Total | 223 | 34 | 44.1 | 35.2 | 77.0 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 3.8 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 21.8 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
