Ideally, the Minnesota Timberwolves would not like to have Anthony Edwards sidelined by an injury. So far, though, the team is 2-0 since it was announced that Ant-Man will miss some time with right knee inflammation.
Of course, when your star player is out, others on the team have to step up. Ayo Dosunmu has made his first 2 starts with the Timberwolves since Edwards has been out. The 26-year-old has taken on many of the lead ball-handling responsibilities, and Ayo hasn’t looked out of place doing so.
Dosunmu is in the midst of an excellent stretch of basketball
The Timberwolves' offense mostly got what they wanted throughout Wednesday’s 147-111 victory over the Utah Jazz. Their 39 assists in the win mark a new season-high, as does their point total (in a non-overtime game).
Playing 27 minutes, Dosunmu dished out six assists with just one turnover. It was a great all-around performance as evidenced by him also adding 23 points, steal rebounds, and three steals. For one night, the offense didn’t seem to miss Edwards all that much.Â
Now, Minnesota’s opponent needs to be accounted for. The Jazz are one of many tanking NBA clubs. Their 121.9 defensive rating is dead last in the league. Utah has now lost four in a row and has taken the L in 12 of their last 14 outings to fall to 20-49.
Nonetheless, it continues a trend of Dosunmu looking more comfortable with his team in what was his 16th game with Minnesota on Wednesday. It has now been about 1.5 months since they acquired the guard from the Chicago Bulls on February 5. The 23 points are the most of his Timberwolves tenure, and it’s his fifth-straight outing where he has scored at least 12 points. The assist totals aren’t always high for Ayo, but it hasn’t looked wrong seeing the ball often in his hands.
It’s something that should remain even when Ant comes back on the court. Edwards has the ball nearly as much as anybody in the NBA. and there’s nothing wrong with taking away some of those responsibilities.
Of late, Ayo has been everything that the Wolves could have hoped for since trading for him. I personally believe that Chris Finch could decide to start Dosunmu once the playoffs roll around over Donte DiVincenzo. Regardless of what role he has, though, Dosunmu is certainly an X-factor for how far the Timberwolves can go in the postseason.