It is all hands on deck for the Minnesota Timberwolves. With Anthony Edwards set to miss multiple months, the Wolves will need contributions from up and down their roster to keep pace in a top-heavy Western Conference.
LaMelo Ball got back on track Monday night against the Milwaukee Bucks with a season-high 36 points, but possibly the most notable performance came from Ayo Dosunmu, who has been starting in place of Edwards.
Dosunmu played well in the Wolves' first few games and increased his production even more once Edwards went out. In the four contests without Edwards, Dosunmu is averaging 19.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 53.4 from the field and 40.9 from beyond the arc.
Against the Bucks, Dosunmu contributed in almost every area of the game. Even on an off-shooting night when he hit only one of his six attempted three-pointers, Dosunmu put up 19 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, along with a block and a steal on defense.
In a game where very few Timberwolves players had a productive offensive night, Dosunmu in many ways carried the Wolves to victory. With Ball required to be the team's top scorer, Dosunmu seamlessly slid in as the team's primary playmaker.
The fact the latter has thrived in that role, while bringing plenty other positives to the table, serves as real validation about the Timberwolves signing him to a massive deal this offseason.
The most distinctive part of Dosunmu's game has been his ability to push the pace and get downhill in transition. After the game, Dosunmu compared his game to that of an NFL running back who finds the hole in the defense and bursts through.
A point of emphasis coming into the season for the Wolves was to increase their pace of play and transition frequency. With Edwards out, that focus becomes an even larger priority. Dosunmu has played the largest role in that area among the current starters and appears focused on pushing the ball at every opportunity.
"Just being aggressive, doing whatever it takes to get downhill," Dosunmu told reporters after the Wolves' 112-100 victory over the Bucks. "Trying to create for my teammates and then create opportunities for myself. That's just my mindset, always being aggressive."
The Timberwolves' move to acquire Dosunmu at last year's trade deadline paid off immediately. Dosunmu fit in perfectly down the stretch of the regular season and provided the short Wolves' rotation with necessary depth. He followed that up with a sensational playoff run, including a 43-point performance in Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets.
Tim Connelly and the Wolves responded to Dosunmu's stellar play in the offseason by giving him a five-year, $112 million contract. There was much consternation among Wolves fans about whether or not that was too much money, but Dosunmu has continued to prove those doubters wrong at every step.
The main areas of worry with Dosunmu coming to Minnesota were his three-point shot and his poor underlying defensive metrics with his previous team, the Chicago Bulls. Dosunmu has been great in both of those areas so far with the Wolves.
Dosunmu has shot 41.5 percent from beyond the arc since arriving in Minnesota and has been both a valuable defender both on and off the ball with any issues with defensive stats likely signaling more about the Bulls than Dosunmu himself.
Dosunmu's best attribute, which he's shown both before and after Edwards went out with an injury, is his ability to throttle his usage up and down as the team needs. When everyone is healthy, Dosunmu has been a valuable sixth man off the bench.
Now with Edwards out, Dosunmu is taking on more and more of the offensive load without letting his efficiency crater. There aren't many NBA players who can provide value in both a small and large usage role, but Dosunmu is showing to be one of those players.
Dosunmu has proven to be worth every penny that the Wolves gave him this offseason. He has given the Timberwolves everything they could have expected and has quickly grown to be one of the leaders in the locker room.
Now, all that is left to do is wait for the return of Anthony Edwards and eventually Donte DiVincenzo, when Dosunmu and the Timberwolves can unleash what has the potential to be the deepest team in the NBA.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/timberwolves/onsi as Ayo Dosunmu's Recent Play Is Making Wolves Look Like Geniuses .
