IIRC back when MC became a "hit" there were several people - including Kai - who said the malt was more difficult to crush. The malt was not "rubbery" - my mill just wouldn't crush it as well. Perhaps it has something to do with mill settings. I have mine set very tight.
Perhaps, I can't speak for other people, but I crush quite tightly (85%+ typical mash efficiencies) and malt condition most every batch, now, and I have no noticeable difficulty crushing the grain by hand. Perhaps it's a difference in the standing moisture level in our grain. I may be returning my grain to the proper moisture level and you may be at that level, already, and exceed it with conditioning.
I have to store my grain with desiccant because of high humidity, which may have contributed to brittle husks and gradually slower lauter speeds. Malt conditioning allows me to run the drain wide open and fast, so that I add 1 minute to my process at the beginning and save 5-10 minutes at the end, potentially more. It sounds like the OP could save an hour.
It's a process that has only upsides,
for me, and I even suspect it may be contributing to the improved clarity of my beer, lately.