While the NBA (and most sports in general) is a star-studded league, there are all different types of players on championship-level teams. The era of super teams has mostly come to an end, as recent top-heavy teams haven’t been able to reach the mountaintop.
There almost always is that versatile role player archetype on every title-winning team. While LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards will get most of the headlines for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season, Ayo Dosunmu will play a huge role in determining how successful the Wolves’ season is.
Dosunmu can fill many different rolesÂ
It’s never easy to join a new team in the middle of a season. There is a lot of value in Dosunmu getting to spend an entire offseason/training camp with his Minnesota teammates. Dosunmu should feel even more comfortable within a system where it appeared like the fit was seamless once he came to Minneapolis.
Now 26 years old, Dosunmu has proven that he is comfortable both coming off the bench and starting. It’s clear which role he’ll have, but Dosunmu should be fine with either. While many project that he will be part of the starting lineup if the roster stays as is, Chris Finch could opt to have him come off the bench to make it more potent.
Dosunmu is capable of wearing multiple hats during the course of a game. He can do more ball-handling when Ball is resting; he can play more off-ball when sharing the floor with Ball; he is capable of playing solid defense on positions one through three, and if needed, Dosunmu can work to get buckets from both inside and outside. That was made evident in Game 4 of the opening round of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets when Dosunmu scored a career-high 43 points.
Examples of players on recent championship teams who showcase their versatility while not quite being seen as stars are Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges on the Knicks, Lu Dort and Alex Caruso on the Thunder, Derrick White on the Celtics, and Aaron Gordon on the Nuggets. These players don't receive the most notoriety on their club, but it's also clear that their team probably wouldn't get as deep into the playoffs without them.
The five-year, $112 million contract that Dosunmu signed this offseason was a little more than the AAV between $16-20 million that many were projecting. The fact that he’s capable of doing so much though, should make it seem like fair value, and there’s room for even more growth.
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