Mike Conley has been 'Captain Clutch' and so much more for Timberwolves

After the Timberwolves’ Jan. 18 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at Target Center, head coach Chris Finch was thinking about Mike Conley’s old nickname.

It wasn’t "Bite Bite," which Anthony Edwards has bestowed on Conley this season, much to Conley’s chagrin, but rather one that’s followed him since his time in Memphis. On a night the Timberwolves had been struggling from beyond the arc, Conley had hit two key 3-pointers that seemed to spark the rest of the team as it pulled away to a 118-103 victory over the Grizzlies.

“His clutch numbers have always been huge,” Finch said of Conley. “They called him Captain Clutch when he was in Memphis for a reason.”

Conley's value to the Timberwolves in late-game situations has been obvious all season long, but it became even more apparent when he missed a series of games due to rest, illness and a sore hamstring. But he's delivered in big moments with regularity, whether it being because of his steadying presence on both sides of the ball down the stretch or hitting timely 3-pointers.

From Memphis to Utah to Minnesota, Conley has remained "Captain Clutch." 

The games the 36-year-old point guard has missed have been some of the biggest Timberwolves collapses. Take their 128-125 home loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 22 that spoiled a franchise-record 62-point effort from Karl-Anthony Towns, for example. Without Conley's steadying hand late in the game, the offense looked out of sync, forced shots and Minnesota had one of its worst losses of the season. 

When Conley has missed games, it's shown how much of a driver he is of the Wolves' success this season. His impact is massive as a calming, veteran presence who can steady the team and pick up more of the load whenever needed. 

On a team that has two ball-dominant scorers in Edwards and Towns, Conley doesn't need to be the focus of the offense. But it's not always just timely shots that make Conley valuable offensively — he can be as involved as the game dictates. 

Take Thursday night's 129-105 victory at the Milwaukee Bucks, for example. Conley had 18 points, nine assists and hit on 6-of-7 shots from 3-point range. It was a return to form of sorts for Conley, who hadn't quite looked like himself since returning from the hamstring injury. It's also a good example of how effective Conley can be offensively, even though he's not the focal point of the Timberwolves' offense. 

“He feels the game so well, like he knows when to step up,” Finch said of Conley. “I don’t really ever have to get him going.”

And he doesn't need to. Despite averaging just 10.7 points per game, the lowest mark of his career since his first two seasons in Memphis, Conley continues to show a knack for hitting big shots late in games, an ability to step up when needed and a keen understanding of how to run the offense — he averages 6.5 assists per game, tops on the Timberwolves. All of those traits have been a boon for Minnesota.