Leading up to the trade deadline, it was clear that the Minnesota Timberwolves' bench was subpar at best. Luckily, Minnesota's second unit transformed into a strength once again after trading for Ayo Dosunmu and signing Kyle Anderson on the buyout market.
With Dosunmu, Anthony Edwards, and Jaden McDaniels all sidelined, beating the Detroit Pistons (even without Cade Cunningham) was going to be a tall task. Ultimately, the Wolves fell short 109-87 on Saturday.
This game reminded me of a theme that emerged throughout the first half of the season: the difficulties of playing meaningful minutes for Mike Conley, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Jaylen Clark.
In turn, this game also highlighted Ayo's importance to the Wolves.
The trio of Conley, Shannon, and Clark combined for just 5-of-16 shooting from the field. It would be foolish to argue that this was the only (or even the main reason) the Wolves lost. Simply put, it was a rough game for just about everyone on the team, and not having Ant and McDaniels was obviously consequential as well. Nevertheless, if you were forgetting how essential trading for Ayo was, this game is a clear reminder.
Saturday's loss should remind Timberwolves fans of life before Ayo
Listen, all three of Conley, Shannon, and Clark are fine in small doses -- I was a massive advocate for Clark earlier in the season. Conley's playmaking poise, Shannon's downhill speed, and Clark's defensive intensity allow all three players to make an impact in limited minutes.
However, all of them have sizable flaws that make it difficult to count on them for anything more than occasional minutes within the context of a Wolves team with title aspirations. Earlier in the season, the Timberwolves were forced to live with some of these lows, which made a trade deadline move mandatory.
At the deadline, the Timberwolves needed a combination of bench creation, shooting, defense, and playmaking. This is the exact skill set that Ayo provides. Simply put, Dosunmu has filled so many gaps for Minnesota and has been a massive difference-maker.
Thus far with the Wolves, he is averaging 13.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 52.5/42.9/87.5 shooting splits. In the four games he's played without Ant, Dosunmu proved he's capable of scaling up, averaging 19 points.
Ayo has missed the past two games with a calf injury, but thankfully, it's not considered to be a long-term ailment. A well-rounded guard like Dosunmu is tailor-made for postseason play, and he helps the Timberwolves unlock another level.
Saturday's loss to the Pistons serves as a reminder of what life looked like before Dosunmu. Thankfully, these days are largely behind the Wolves, and with their full rotation set to get healthy, another deep playoff run could be on the horizon.