Shortly after being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ayo Dosunmu quickly built chemistry with fellow bench guard Bones Hyland. Due to the breakneck speed at which the two guards play at they earned the nickname Twin Turbos. In addition to capturing the hearts of Wolves fans with their electric style of play, this duo posted an impressive plus-7 net rating.
While Hyland is still on the team, his role could dwindle with the Timberwolves' upgraded guard room. Conversely, third-year wing Terrence Shannon Jr. is a candidate to see a bigger role. As such, while the Timberwolves' pace should remain a theme, especially with Ayo leading the bench unit, Shannon might be his new Twin Turbo.
During an interview with Britt Robson of MinnPost, Chris Finch mentioned the importance of Ayo and Shannon developing chemistry.
"They (Dosunmu and Shannon) are probably going to share the floor a lot together. So they are going to have to develop a fast chemistry," Finch said.
Shannon has a leg up over Hyland in the Timberwolves' rotation
Dosunmu is locked into the sixth-man role, while Joan Beringer seems poised to play the second-most bench minutes, and at least to start the season, Shannon feels like the clear eighth man. This leaves Bones and Jaylen Clark competing for ninth-man minutes. Given Finch's tendency to run tight rotations, Hyland might not play many consistent minutes as a result.
Shannon had a rocky second season, but he put it together at the end of last season and in the playoffs. Notably, he averaged 11.8 points in the playoffs, including a 24-point game that helped send the Denver Nuggets packing. Though I'm dubious of how Shannon will fit alongside all of the Wolves' on-ball talent, he showed enough as a downhill scorer and shot creator to earn a bigger role.
Hyland, on the other hand, struggled in the playoffs, shooting just 30 percent from the field and getting hunted on defense. Eventually, this caused him to fall out of the rotation. Unfortunately, this trend could continue given his general inconsistencies and the Wolves' improved guard room.
Dosunmu and Shannon could be a dynamic duo
Despite the concerns about Shannon needing the ball in his hands, Ayo can thrive off the ball. Both players also excel at getting to the rim and pushing the pace. Thus, these two players could carry the Turbo Twins flame even if Hyland is outside of the rotation
Shannon is also better at generating rim pressure than Hyland. Per Databallr, Shannon averaged 4 rim attempts per 75 possessions while Hyland averaged 3.1. Likewise, Shannon's strength and athleticism make him harder to guard in transition.
Having two players with plus positional size, blazing speed, and bruising strength could take the Timberwolves' Twin Turbo duo to another level.
Frankly, this style of play is a nightmare for opposing defenses to deal with. Teams will be expecting a break with one of LaMelo or Anthony Edwards off the court, but BOOM, you have to account for the Twin Turbos. Have fun.
Overall, having two bench players who thrive at pushing the pace is a real weapon for the Timberwolves—we saw this last season, and this advantage might become more significant.
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