The Minnesota Timberwolves trading for Ayo Dosunmu always seemed like a great move, given their need for extra guard depth and his all-around skill set. However, it's fair to say that Ayo has exceeded expectations.
Ayo has started to surge in March, averaging 14.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 54.4/45.7/86.7 shooting splits. And in the past three games without Anthony Edwards, Ayo is averaging 19.7 points -- this shows that he is capable of scaling up if need be. His blend of finishing, 3-point shooting, connective playmaking, speed, and defense has made him one of the Wolves' most impactful players.
In some ways, Donte DiVincenzo is a similar player to Ayo -- at the very least, they play similar roles. Nevertheless, it's quickly becoming clear that Ayo brings a few things to the table that Donte doesn't, most notably extra finishing and self-creation juice. While Ayo can scale up, DiVincenzo thrives off playing alongside other great players.
During the Wolves' past three games without Edwards, DiVincenzo is averaging 7.3 points, 4 assists, and 2.7 rebounds, while netting just 25 percent of his outside shots. DiVincenzo is still a valuable and impactful player, but his game doesn't lend itself to taking on a bigger role in the offense as Ayo's does.
Ayo Dosunmu's skill set gives the Timberwolves a different element
The Big Ragu almost exclusively scores off 3-pointers, which account for 76.3 percent of his field goal attempts. Just 10.7 percent of DiVincenzo's shots come at the rim, and he makes an underwhelming 58.4 percent of these shots.
Conversely, 28.6 percent of Ayo's shots come at the rim, and he makes 66.7 percent of these shots. Dosunmu gives the Timberwolves a rim-pressuring guard that they've lacked for the past two and a half seasons. Likewise, he is helping them play at a faster pace and get out in transition more.
This goes hand in hand with Dosunmu's superior shot-creation chops. He is a true three-level scorer capable of creating for himself and spotting up. Whereas DiVincenzo is an elite movement shooter. Notably, Ayo ranks in the 73rd percentile points per isolation possessions per NBA.com, and Donte ranks in the 4th percentile for this stat.
Similarly, while both players are great connective playmakers, Dosunmu is better suited to take on lead playmaking duties when needed.
On the other side of the ball, DiVincenzo makes an impact with his hustle and defensive playmaking. Still, Ayo is a better point-of-attack stopper and overall defender.
I don't want any of this to be a slight against DiVincenzo; he is still a fantastic role player. Plus, unlike some Wolves fans, I think he should remain in the starting lineup for continuity purposes once Ant returns. Regardless, there's no denying that Dosunmu gives the Timberwolves a few elements that DiVincenzo lacks.