Minnesota Timberwolves veteran guard Mike Conley spoke candidly ahead of Tuesday’s second-round opener against the Golden State Warriors, calling it “a huge challenge” and emphasizing the mental focus required to contain their high-paced offense.
Conley acknowledged the difficulty of preparing for Golden State, who just eliminated the Houston Rockets in seven games, citing their movement-heavy system and championship pedigree.
“They play at a very high level, championship level,” Conley said during Monday’s availability. “They move the ball, they play fast, they’re physical, they’re tough—they’ve got everything.”
Minnesota has been practicing with both potential second-round opponents in mind, mixing in prep for Houston and Golden State during the waiting period.
Defensively, Conley pointed out that the key will be sustaining discipline for a full possession—especially against Stephen Curry and the Warriors’ complex off-ball actions.
“Can we sustain it for 24 seconds on the shot clock? Can we sustain not ball-watching and staying attached to the shooters?” Conley asked, adding that defensive success hinges on consistently recognizing personnel and coverages.
He credited the Timberwolves’ growth on that end of the floor over the past two seasons, singling out Rudy Gobert, Anthony Edwards, and Jaden McDaniels for their defensive improvements.
“Rudy as an anchor, his communication has gotten better,” Conley said. “Implementing guys like Julius, Donte, Nickeil—everybody’s gradually improving… being able to draw different coverages and execute that on the fly.”
With Golden State coming off a taxing series that ended Sunday night, Conley acknowledged the urgency of setting the tone early.
“You want to put a lot of emphasis on Game 1s regardless,” he said. “But those guys over there—they’re different. They’ve been built for these types of runs.”
Conley made clear Minnesota won’t take anything for granted, despite the Warriors having one less day of rest and travel ahead of Tuesday’s Game 1 in Minneapolis.
“We’re going to expect them to give us their best energy and best shot right out the gate,” he said.
When asked about the storyline involving Jimmy Butler facing his former team, Conley admitted he didn’t follow those events closely at the time.
“I might not have the best appreciation for the whole Jimmy thing because I wasn’t here,” he said. “I know what it means to this city… but that’s not none of my business.”
Conley downplayed any emotional storylines and remained focused on the tactical demands of the matchup, particularly the collective effort required to handle Curry and Golden State’s offense for a full game.
“This series would be a good look at how much we need to improve or have improved on all that off-ball movement,” Conley said. “We’ve got great individual defenders. But can we guard multiple actions and do it at a high level?”
Game 1 tips off Tuesday night at Target Center.
