After being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ayo Dosunmu immediately proved that he was an ideal complementary guard. He impacts the game in countless ways, including 3-point shooting, finishing, defense, and connective playmaking. This allows him to thrive in a low-usage role or scale up if the situation calls for it -- remember that amazing 43-point performance he had against the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs.
I've often compared Ayo to Boston Celtics guard Derrick White. Look, it's not a perfect one-for-one comparison. White is a higher-level defender, while Ayo is a better downhill scorer. Still, their well-rounded skill sets, ability to complement stars, and scalability are similar.
As evidenced by White's role in the Celtics' 2024 championship run, players like this are vital to winning teams.
Much like White, Dosunmu is a high-end complementary guard
Last season, we got a taste of Ayo's value and his similarities to White. Now in a full season with the team and a more talented roster around him, including LaMelo Ball, this comparison will start to make even more sense.
Both White and Ayo are primarily used as spot-up shooters on offense. Having a dependable spot-up 3-point threat opens up the game for the team's stars. In Ayo's case, Anthony Edwards and LaMelo. While the Celtics are down to one star, in Jayson Tatum, for years White helped elevate the duo of Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Now, White did have a down season from deep range this season, but in the three seasons prior, he netted 38.7 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. Furthermore, White ranked fourth in the league for made 3-pointers two seasons ago. White's ability to get hot from deep range gives him the potential to scale up and provide big-time scoring nights.
Dosunmu was one of the league's most effective outside shooters last year, netting an absurd 43.9 percent of his 3-pointers. He still has a ways to go in terms of catching up to White's volume. LaMelo should feed him open 3-pointers, though. As is, Dosunmu is a dependable shooting threat.
Ayo's downhill speed and rim shot creation allow him to scale up if the team needs it.
White and Dosunmu are similar as playmakers in the sense that they aren't elite lead playmakers. Rather, they are willing passers who make strong reads and help the offense flow, otherwise known as connective playmakers.
As noted earlier, White has a leg up over Ayo defensively, as the former is an All-League-level defender and a historically great positional shot blocker. Make no mistake, though: Dosunmu is a high-level defender. He can get up in opponents' grills on the perimeter, has the strength and length needed to guard up, and is an exceptional screen navigator. In fact, he ranked in the 100th percentile for ball screen navigation per Basketball Index.
Again, the point isn't that Dosunmu is the exact same player as White. My point is that both players are similarly high-end complementary players with well-rounded skill sets. Stars are crucial, but surrounding your stars with complementary players is just as important.
Regardless of their position, every championship team has complementary players like this, and Ayo fills this key void for the Timberwolves.
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