Mike Conley and Payton Pritchard have made a connection this summer. Conley revealed at his introductory press conference on Tuesday that they have begun working out together, playing a lot of five-on-five and one-on-one.
“Me and Payton [Pritchard] work a lot,” Conley said. “One-on-one with our workouts. Before practice or before five-on-five, we play [or] hoop or whatever, and we’re talking the game all the time. Like, ‘I should shoot a floater, you should shoot a mid-range shot.'”
Conley was a free agent signing this summer by the Celtics after previously spending his 19-year career with the Grizzlies, the Jazz and, most recently, the Timberwolves. He is going to provide the Celtics veteran leadership and guard depth this season.
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Conley also noted that he and Pritchard do different things on the court and it impacts on how he gives some tips to Pritchard.
“Different things that compliment his game, might not compliment mine,” he said. “I recognize that and you just gotta know who you’re talking to and their personality.”
Conley has one of the most effective floaters the NBA has seen. Conley, a lefty, has primarily used his right hand to shoot the floater.
Last season for the Timberwolves, Conley averaged 4.5 points and 2.9 assists per game in 54 games. He is going to have a role on the Celtics, even with the addition of Devin Carter, because Boston is a bit shorthanded at guard and will need Conley to play at certain points in the season.
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Conley had his moments in the playoffs last season. His averages were relatively the same as they were in the regular season, but Minnesota lost a lot of their guards as the playoffs went on and they needed to insert Conley back into the starting lineup. He had 7 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in Minnesota’s close-out Game 6 win against the Denver Nuggets.
Playing with Pritchard should also help Conley. Payton is a really good player who is ultra-quick. That will help get Conley ready for the season when he has to go against fast guard on either side of the court. They can also learn how to play off one another for when they share the court this season.
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