By trading for Ayo Dosunmu, the Minnesota Timberwolves addressed their two biggest needs: depth and guard play. So far, I've been impressed by Dosunmu's well-rounded impact, and by all accounts, trading for him was a great move. While Dosunmu gives the Wolves a rock-solid seventh man, they still don't have a dependable eighth man, in my opinion.
Bones Hyland is currently the Wolves' eighth man, but he's also highly erratic, and it's fair to wonder about his playoff viability. During the first five games of February, Hyland was averaging 13.2 points with a stellar 73.8 effective field goal percentage. In the next three games, though, he's totaled just nine points with a 37.5 effective field goal percentage. This inconsistent scoring, paired with his poor defense, makes it difficult to trust him in the playoffs.
If Hyland struggles, the Wolves' next best options are an aging Mike Conley, an offensively limited Jaylen Clark, Terrence Shannon Jr., who has struggled mightily in year two, and rookie Joan Beringer, who is tough to find minutes for, given his positional overlap with key players.
Perhaps Hyland finishes the season with extreme consistency, or one of these players steps up in a big way. However, for now, it's more than fair to have concerns about the Wolves' lack of depth.
The Timberwolves' lack of depth might end up costing them
In recent years, the NBA has trended more toward depth. Look at last year's NBA Finals teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers; both squads had outstanding depth. As such, it's fair to have even more concern about the Wolves' limited depth, even with Dosunmu.
Simply put, having seven players you can truly trust in a playoff setting is no longer enough, even if that top seven is elite.
It's not totally out of the question that the Wolves run a seven-man rotation in the playoffs, or at the very least, the eighth man's minutes will be limited. Regardless, this makes it easier for opposing teams to wear the Timberwolves down in a seven-game series. And if god forbid the Wolves get an injury, these depth concerns skyrocket to an uncomfortable level.
In these last 24 games, we'll see if the Wolves can find a dependable eighth man. However, 58 games in, they haven't found one yet. Thus, the most likely scenario is that the Wolves ride into the playoffs with seven trustworthy players, and that should be a concerning thought.
Getting Ayo was massive for this team, and he certainly bolsters the Wolves' depth. Nevertheless, when it's all said and done, this move might not be enough.