NBA Free Agency is off to a slower start than in years past, but the Boston Celtics have signed a new guard to the roster. On Tuesday, July 1st, it was announced that the Celtics were signing Mike Conley to a one-year deal, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
While Conley had his struggles on the court last season, in the playoffs, he is still one of the best locker room players you could have in the league. Boston still has a lot of younger guys on the roster, and having a vet like Conley could be a huge benefit to learn from.
Mike Conley is a great off-court addition for the Celtics
During games, I wouldn't count on Conley being a consistent contributor, as his play did slip last year with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Though he had some moments in the playoffs, Conley will more than likely be on the bench. That isn't a bad thing, though.
Adding the veteran point guard was smart for Boston, as given the young roster, you add one of the best available veterans in the NBA to help develop and coach them up. Guys like Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and the two new rookies in Chris Cenac and Dillon Mitchell are just some of the players who can learn a lot from Conley. Not only the rookies, but some of the longer-tenured guys could learn from him as well.
Someone who Conley could be a great mentor for is Payton Pritchard. Pritchard saw his minutes increase this past season from 28.4 to 32.4, career highs in points (17), rebounds (3.9), and assists (5.2). Conley has been one of the best smaller guards in the NBA this past decade, and someone from whom Pritchard can learn a lot.
A key area where Conley has always done well is limiting turnovers. With how much Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla preaches about winning the margins, the Arkansas native helping players learn how to better control the ball would help Boston.
Mike Conley can boost Boston's morale in the locker room
Outside of helping the locker room with a mentor presence, Conley will also be a good addition to the locker room from a morale perspective. When building a roster, guys like Conley who can help the morale in the locker room are crucial.
You need to have guys who definitely know what their role is on the roster. Conley is someone who knows what his role is and won't complain about it. Celtics fans should be familiar with what happens when you have too many players who want the ball and clash in the locker rooms after what happened in the 2018-19 season.
On the court, who knows what Boston will get from Conley? But his impact behind the scenes and in the locker room will be something the Celtics should be excited about.
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