The Western Conference Finals averaged only 4.4 points per game, but not a single point in the life-and-death battle. He is already 37 years old, and it’s time for you to retire!

Not long ago, the Timberwolves, who had already fallen into a battle with their backs, did not show their due attitude and came to the Thunder's home court. The team seemed to be completely shocked by the shouts of opponents' fans. They were directly scored 26:9 by the Thunder in the first quarter, and they were even 31 points behind in the first half, and they instantly lost the opportunity to win. In the end, the Timberwolves were defeated by the Thunder with a huge advantage of 30 points and fell to the Western Conference Finals again. Looking back at this round of series, almost most of the players in the team's performance was sluggish. Whether it was Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Naz Reed, and Rudy Gobert, they failed to perform as they deserved. They were responsible for elimination.

And the protagonist we are going to talk about today is the Timberwolves' main point guard, Mike Conley, who is now 37 years old. Since entering the NBA in 2007, Conley has been in the NBA for 18 seasons. Although he has only entered the All-Star lineup once, fans who have watched Conley's games will definitely recognize his ability. However, now he is no longer at his peak, especially in the five games in the Western Conference Finals, it is difficult for Conley to match the intensity of the game. Although this is a cruel reality, Conley's career has entered the countdown as he turns 38 next season. Even this summer, this veteran will likely choose to retire. Let's take a look at Conley's overall performance this season!

1. The offense is severely degraded and it is difficult to match high-intensity events.

It is undeniable that Conley's scoring ability at his peak was very good. During the Grizzlies' period, as the team's backcourt core, he averaged 20+ points per game in two seasons, which is enough to prove this. Even after he was over 30 years old and joined the Jazz and Timberwolves, he was able to maintain enough form. Even in the 23-24 season, he still had 11.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists. But now at the age of 37, it is difficult for him to share enough scoring pressure. During the regular season, his average score has dropped to 8.2 points, setting a career low. Fortunately, his three-point shooting is relatively stable, maintaining a 41% shooting percentage, and also producing 127 three-pointers. However, in the playoffs, he made 15 appearances, but only 2 of his scores reached double digits, and he had almost not made much contribution in the rest of the games. His average average was only 6 points, and his shooting and three-point shooting percentages dropped to 30.2% and 33.3% respectively. Especially on the stage of the Western Conference Finals, he averaged only 4.4 points per game, with only 7 of 33 shots in total, and he did not score a single point in the life-and-death battle. In such a high-intensity event, it was difficult for him to match the rhythm and confrontation of the game. Therefore, even if Conley continues to execute his contract for next season, he will no longer be able to hold a stable starting position, and the Timberwolves must find a suitable replacement at No. 1.

2. The body's function has declined and the defense stability is insufficient.

The reason why Conley was able to become a starter in the Grizzlies, Jazz, and even now in the Timberwolves is that in addition to his stable offense, he is his excellent defense. Don’t look at his height of only 1.85 meters and weighs only 79 kilograms, but Conley’s defense has always been a big selling point for him. As early as the Grizzlies, he was selected into the best defensive team, which shows his ability. Moreover, even though his overall performance was not ideal in this year's playoffs, his defensive efficiency reached 106.3, ranking 16th in the league. But the problem is that Conley, who has lost speed and explosive power, will find it difficult to give Alexander, Jaylen Williams and others enough restrictions. Even Alex Caruso, who is not very good at offense, can easily score on the offensive end by consuming Conley's physical fitness. In the semi-final match against the Warriors, although Stephen Curry only played one game and missed all of the next four games, under such circumstances, Conley's defensive round loss rate was as high as 1.12 points per leg. In the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder targeted him this point, and made Alexander and Jaylen Williams successful singles many times. Therefore, the lack of defensive stability makes it difficult for Conley to become the most trustworthy point on the defensive end like the peak, and this will undoubtedly put a lot of pressure on the team.

3. The Timberwolves need to make changes to the system.

Finally, let’s talk about the current team’s problems. Although the Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive year this season, this does not mean that the team has no flaws. In addition to the team's outstanding performance, the Lakers and Warriors also have fatal flaws. For example, the Lakers' inside problems have never been resolved and were beaten by Gobert and Randle in turn. In the second round, the Warriors directly lost Curry, and the team lost a lot of strength, giving the Timberwolves a valuable opportunity. And looking at the way they won, they are actually relatively single, relying on the singles of Randall, Edwards and Reed, so this leads to a serious sense of tactical separation between Conley and the Timberwolves. As one of the most stable point guards in the NBA today, Conley can pass 3.3 assists even in the playoffs, with an assist-turnover ratio of 4.5 and an assist-to-return ratio of 31.0. Just like Chris Paul, Conley is getting higher and higher in passing organization. But in the Timberwolves, he can only pass some safety balls most of the time, and it is difficult to tear the opponent's defense. This is why his data is good, but he cannot give the team enough help. Of course, this is not a personal problem for Conley, but the Timberwolves must make changes. After all, it is definitely difficult to go far if they blindly pursue the tactical system of superstar singles.