In the first half of the season, it was looking like the Timberwolves' bench might be their demise come playoff time. Naz Reid was the only player who brought any semblance of consistency to the bench unit, with the occasional Bones Hyland boomlet. But that wasn't sustainable for a championship team.
They were relying on an old Mike Conley, Jaylen Clark, who has little offensive game right now, Rob Dillingham, who hasn't been an NBA-ready scorer, and Terrence Shannon Jr, who's shown some flashes but has been hurt for the majority of the year, to anchor the bench unit.
Luckily, Tim Connelly pulled off a crafty trade deadline move for Ayo Dosunmu and further bolstered the bench by adding Kyle Anderson on the buyout market.
Kyle Anderson and Ayo Dosunmu are game-changers
Not only have both of these guys directly impacted winning in their short times here so far, but the Timberwolves also acquired them for essentially nothing of value to them. They got Anderson for free on the buyout market. To land Dosunmu, they traded Dillingham and Leonard Miller (who weren't playing) and four second-round picks.
Ayo injects pace into a team that has a giant need for it. The Wolves aren't a fast-paced team, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing, but having the option to get out and run in transition is a huge benefit. Ayo is a terrific north-south scorer and is capable of being a lead guard or playing off-ball.
On the topic of versatility, that's who Kyle Anderson is. He can play anywhere from small-ball center to small forward. He can handle primary playmaking responsibilities in certain lineups, and he can give guys like Jaden McDaniels a break on defense and take on tough defensive assignments.
The Wolves are primed for a big run thanks to these additions
You obviously need superstars to win championships, and luckily for the Wolves, they have someone who, in my opinion, is a top-five player in the league. But as we've seen firsthand, having depth is important too.
Playoffs are grueling, and giving your stars a break every once in a while and not having your team suffer from it is huge. Expect Anthony Edwards to still be the Superman Wolves fans know and love, but with a much-bolstered rotation, there's less of a burden for him and the rest of the starters.
This could give him some much-needed energy for a long playoff run as the Wolves look to extend their season into June for the first time in franchise history. If there's one lesson we need to take away, it's that Tim Connelly has earned the trust of this fanbase time and time again.