‘Mike Conley is an ELITE LEADER!’ – Stephen A. Smith on the Timberwolves’ quality | NBA Countdown

‘Mike Conley is an ELITE LEADER!’ – Stephen A. Smith on the Timberwolves’ quality | NBA Countdown

As our all access day with the Minnesota Timberwolves continues go ahead Stephen A Smith Malika yes sir Malica I thought you know what we gonna stop giving Molly props for some push-ups I saw you get down there and do those push-ups Go I mean you got molly

Beat I’m just saying I’m just saying my my trainer Courtney is going to be so so glad to hear that I’ve been in the I I’ve been in the gym working on it as we say hello to someone else who I know has been in the gym our senior Insider Adrien wer

W you reported earlier this week that Mike connley Jr has agreed to an extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves I think he goes a little bit under the radar sometimes why is he so important to this team it does two years $21 million for Mike Conley Jr

He’ll be 38 years old in the second year of that deal Tim Connelly when he arrived in Minnesota made that massive trade with Utah for Rudy goar and then a few months later he realized to make the goar uh partnership work in that front court with Carl Anthony thomps with

Anthony Edwards he needed a point guard who knew how to play with Rudy goar traded for Mike Conley Jr with the Jazz uh this was a player who uh obviously they wanted him to play with gobear but they wanted his leadership with this young team and Mike connley at the time

Of that trade he was hoping it might be the Lakers it might be the Clippers he was not enthusiastic about going to Minnesota and just a year later he was eager to sign that EX ition uh not just on the court but off the court with his family in that Community he’s loved

Being there and Mike connley is a player who has really tied this group together this is a team that turns the ball over a lot Mike Connelly is a low turnover point guard and and to be approaching his 37th birthday and still playing at such a high level and leading this group

Uh Connelly has been a huge part of this emergence as an elite team now in Minnesota not to mention that experience erience in his 17th year in the NBA is so important because we’re largely perk looking looking at a little bit of a young group here that’s looking to make

Noise in the postseason and I know despite their success in the regular season you are not completely sold I’d like to hear why and see if Stephen A agrees with you well well I’m not sold as on them as being one of the being the favorite in the conference and I don’t

Think no one is I mean even Vegas for the simple fact that they need to show us when they actually get to the postseason right I get it and they earn my respect because because I watched them beat the Celtics hand handed them their first loss I watched them beat the

Nuggets they have beaten every top team in the NBA but again in order to get that ND uh you know where we put them above the Denver Nuggets as the favorite or the Los Angeles Clippers you have to do it in the postseason I need to see

Them win the series let’s go he sit in Courtside tonight I was I want to get I want to get Stephen A on yours as well Chan well listen I want to say this just real quickly Mike connley is a consumate leader he he’s a high quality professional he’s steady he’s reliable

He’s trustworthy averaging 10 and six on the season a 6 to1 assist to turnover ratio shooting 44% from three-point range I’m not saying that there aren’t point guards in the league that are better overall but he’s earned the money that he’s gotten they got him at a

Bargain Tim colen once again has show is proven to be the elite executive that he is in making sure you keep this guy in total because he’s far more valuable than those numbers suggest and they’ve also earned the position of first in the west because if you think about what

They had last year they had a reality check they lost in the first round to defending champs and they’ve done everything ever since then to show that this year they’re focused on the postseason this is a team whose window while the the core is Young they have a massive payroll next season they’re

Going to be a second apron team which means they’re going to be very limited in the kind of Trades they can make how they can uh uh reshape that roster uh they are they are have they are going for it now but if this is a team that

Comes up short in the postseason doesn’t advance I think you look at them in the offseason to say are we keeping this group exactly the same they’re going to be expensive yeah this is a team that this has proves why this year is so important when you have a window you

Have to you have to capitalize on it

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Adrian Wojnarowski, Chiney Ogwumike, Kendrick Perkins and Stephen A. Smith join me on NBA Countdown to debate whether or not the Minnesota Timberwolves will make it to the NBA Finals. Woj also details Mike Conley Jr.’s new 2-year/$21 million extension in Minnesota.