Wrist issue kept Mike Conley off the golf course, but it won't keep him off the court

Conley has been dealing with a recurring left wrist injury the past several years.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley poses for photos on media day at Target Center in Minneapolis on Sept. 30, 2024. / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Typically, Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley enjoys playing golf in the offseason. That wasn’t the case this summer as Conley was left frustrated by a left wrist injury that's plagued him for several years.

“I didn’t golf all summer, I wasn’t able to,” Conley said. “I was in and out of a cast and bracing and stuff like that, just trying to get it to calm down, so I didn’t really touch the ball.” 

Conley revealed on Monday that he's been dealing with the issue in his left wrist for the past several years. On Thursday, Conley explained it's a ligament issue that's still loose as a result of an old tear. It's flared up at times over the years, and Conley often wears tape or a brace on the wrist, though it's never kept him off the court. He continues to play on.

“I think this summer it really flared up on him and now it’s calmed down, and I think he’s just working out some stiffness that’s in there, but I haven’t really noticed it up until this summer, preseason," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. "His shots, I’m sure it’s affecting his shot to some degree. The shots all look good, they look like they’re gonna go down and a lot of them have rattled out, but that’s really the only thing I’ve kind of noticed.” 

Conley said the wrist isn't something that he's worried about going forward, and that it's something that he'll continue to adjust to as the season goes on. Through four games, Conley is shooting just 23% from the field and 27% from 3-point range, probably in part because the wrist kept him limited until training camp. He feels the strength is back now.

While Conley isn't worried about the wrist in the immediate future, he did say if he wants to fix it, it will require surgery eventually, though he doesn't plan on going through with that any time soon. There's still basketball left to play.

“That surgery is a little bit complex … and I’ve been playing with it for years, so I figured I’d just finish it out,” Conley said, later adding, “When I’m 50, I’ll get surgery, not right now.” 

Dillingham will 'be ready' when the moment comes

Timberwolves rookie point guard Rob Dillingham couldn't have a much better mentor than Conley, an 18-year veteran who's seen just about everything and can offer advice to the 19-year-old who hasn't seen his first NBA minutes yet.

Conley said he's just trying to keep Dillingham "sane," knowing how much he wants to be out on the court. Conley has been in his ear, explaining to Dillingham how important he is for the Wolves' future, and is helping him pick up on their plays and schemes, as well as the systems of opponents. Conley's helping him get ready for when his moment comes.

"We were just going over how to get fouled," Conley said after Thursday's practice. "(Dillingham) didn’t know how to get certain kind of foul calls in the paint, so we’re trying to figure out how to get him to learn how to do a little bit of that. I promise you, he’ll be ready when his time has come.” 

Perfect shot

As Conley was speaking with reporters after Thursday's practice, Nickeil Alexander-Walker came over to inform him that the streak is still alive, which of course prompted the question: What streak?

The Timberwolves have a machine that tracks their shot pattern. If they get a "perfect shot," it's reflected on the screen via a straight line. Conley said most players get about one perfect shot per week, but he and Alexander-Walker typically get a perfect shot per day. Conley was pleased to report he did the "unthinkable" and hit two in a row on Thursday.