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Ayo Dosunmu Explains Approach to Success Amid Anthony Edwards Injury
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- Ayo Dosunmu Explains Approach to Success Amid Anthony Edwards Injury
The Minnesota Timberwolves will be without superstar Anthony Edwards until at least the turn of the calendar.
Losing a player of Edwards' caliber would be devastating at any juncture, but especially when the restructured Wolves team was just starting to develop chemistry.
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However, the world must go on, and the Timberwolves are eager to keep fighting in their leader's absence — picking up a big 112-100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Monday to improve to 5-3.
Still Stacked With Talent
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One way in which Edwards' knee injury could prove a blessing in disguise is if it allows Minnesota's role players to find their groove before he returns. Then, reintegrating a perennial All-Star would be the easy part.
Ayo Dosunmu is one of those players who needs to do more now for the Timberwolves to stay afloat. The annual sixth-man candidate got the start against the Bucks and did not disappoint.
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Dosunmu paced the hosts in rebounds and assists, coming up two dishes shy of a triple-double (19 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists) in 37 minutes. He shot 8-of-18 from the field and added a steal and a block.
When asked about his mindset going into the game afterward, Dosunmu said : "Just being aggressive. I'm trying to get the win. We're short on guys right now, but I'm just living in the moment, trying to take each opportunity, each game, for what it's worth, and try to get the win. Try to compete."
The Timberwolves are in a situation right now where they just need to feed the hot hand and play off that player. Dosunmu's emergence as a playmaker and rebounder against the Bucks freed up LaMelo Ball to pour in his season-high 34 points.
If they continue like this, the Wolves will be in good stead whenever Edwards comes back. However, tougher tests than the 1-6 Milwaukee still lie ahead.
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Balled Out
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It took LaMelo a few games after Edwards went down to shift into the scoring gear.
The good news for the Timberwolves is that he is more than capable; however, his fit next to Edwards required him to be more of a traditional pass-first point guard, which he is comfortable being.
Now, though, the circumstances demand more aggression from Ball, and his breakout against the Bucks was a solid indicator that the message was received. He attempted a season-high 21 shots, sinking 12 of them — including 6 of 13 three-point tries.
Ball added six rebounds and a season-low three assists, setting the stage for Dosunmu to flourish as the decision-maker with the ball in his hands.
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We'll see if that pattern holds in upcoming games, but it very well could be the case that head coach Chris Finch recognized that a temporary tweak was needed in order to put the team in the best position to succeed.
