Minnesota’s best player this season may also be its most improved. Anthony Edwards has always been the young star with the skill and mentality that fostered a perception of endless potential, and now he’s starting to reach it.

Yes, his insane athleticism, shot making and sheer will to win are apparent, but he’s also reaching these new heights — where he’s thoroughly outplaying the likes of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker throughout a playoff series — because of his higher understanding of the game.

Throw whatever defensive look you’d like at the 22-year-old, and he’ll quickly decipher the best way to attack it. That was not a sentence that could have been typed a year, or even months ago. It’s a product of Edwards’ ability to study and take instruction, and a coaching staff committed to pushing the young guard to be his very best self.

And it’s also a product of the teammate who sits next to Edwards in every film session: Mike Conley.

“He sits in the film room right next to Anthony Edwards, always talking to him,” Wolves assistant coach Micah Nori said Wednesday. “It’s never about himself. It’s always the message that can benefit the team, the coach’s message, reinforcing that.”

Conley was named the recipient of the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award on Wednesday, and was only fitting that  Edwards who delivered the message in front of the team to conclude practice at Mayo Courts. It’s the second time Conley has won the award, winning it also in 2018-19.

The award “recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team” and is awarded by a vote of all current NBA players.

Edwards gave the team the news, then gave Conley a big embrace from behind. He has always been an ascending star, but there’s no doubt his 36-year-old mentor had aided in his meteoric rise.

“A little. I’m part of it. Everybody in here has been a part of his growth and his development,” Conley said. “When we’re in film sessions, we’re constantly in each other’s ear. If he’s about to explode about Coach (Chris Finch) saying something bad about him, I’ll tap him on the shoulder and be like, ‘Chill. You need to hear this. This is real. He’s being honest with this one, and you need to work on it.’

“And he’ll be like, ‘Bet.’ Just kind of really receptive to stuff. So I’m glad I’m there to gauge his mental and make sure he’s paying attention to the right things.”

The impact Conley has had on Minnesota extends far beyond the team’s best player. Nickeil Alexander-Walker calls Conley his “big brother,” noting it’s Conley who has taught him the art of becoming a floor general. Rudy Gobert cited Conley’s professionalism, empathy and understanding as to why he’s been such a standout teammate on this year’s team.

It was Conley’s arrival last season that led to the Timberwolves’ true acceptance of Gobert and the understanding of the full value the center could bring to the team.

“Each different individual, (it’s) the way he communicates with all of us, interacts with all of us. Just his dedication to winning,” Gobert said. “All these little things, I think when they come together, I think it’s having someone that’s really great to have around, especially when you have younger players.

“I think he’s the definition of a true leader, and a true leader by example without faking anything, without trying to be someone he’s not. He’s consistent every single day.”

Which makes him the perfect player to calm the waters when needed. Conley noted the Wolves have “an emotional team – from our coaches to our players.” The guard — who has never received a technical foul in his NBA career — has taken it upon himself to keep the Wolves grounded, particularly since the playoffs began.

“He even calmed me down at one point,” head coach Chris Finch said after Minnesota’s Game 3 victory in the first round in Phoenix. “For a young team, and an emotional team, these are little tests of your maturity, and Mike has his finger on the pulse of that. That’s why he’s so valuable for us.”

That value is likely to grow given the uncertainty of Finch’s coaching capacity for the start of the second-round series against the Nuggets in Denver. The Wolves’ coach on the floor, Conley may be leaned on more than usual. Even if Finch isn’t present on the sidelines, the point guard extension of the coach will still be on the floor.

“He knows, like, when to calm us down or when we need to get a good shot, he just takes over, takes control,” Jaden McDaniels said before the postseason began. “Mike Conley, he’s PG1, super smart out there. He’ll tell you to do something and it always works. Just keep trusting and believing in Mike.”

And they’ll be just fine.

Conley’s trophy setup in his video game room is filling up fast. He’s now has two Teammate of the Year awards to go with his four sportsmanship awards. That’s the ultimate “good guy” résumé. And, in Mike Conley fashion, the guard attributed his most recent award to his family for molding him into the person he is today.

“Ultimate professional, ultimate good guy, ultimate father,” Nori said. “All those superlatives, he’s all of those guys. He encompasses all of them.”

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