Questions lingered about the Minnesota Timberwolves’ depth entering the season. That’s not all that different from previous years for the team.
Those teams, of course, featured Naz Reid. His production was reliable nightly, but the other reserves weren't. This year, it looked like Ayo Dosunmu would be Minnesota's one reliable bench piece.
Except Dosunmu has now been in the starting lineup for the last seven games with Anthony Edwards out. The bench is still playing well, though, and they’ve played a large role in helping the Wolves get off to an 8-3 start.
The Timberwolves' bench has proven to be more than just Ayo Dosunmu
Looking at the numbers, the Timberwolves bench doesn’t look all that spectacular. They rank in the middle of the pack in scoring at 36.5 points per game, the 17th-highest total in the league. Minnesota is only three points per game behind the 12th-place Portland Trail Blazers, and their 45.2 percent field goal shooting from reserves ranks 10th. However, when you peel back the layers and go through the context, this is a great sign.
In 2025-26, the Timberwolves averaged 35.0 points from the bench, just the 21st-most. They averaged the same amount in 2024-25, ranking 19th. Again, those teams had Reid, a perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
With Dosunmu promoted to the starting lineup, they were expected to struggle to find scoring off the bench. Minnesota was also without Terrence Shannon Jr. for three games before he returned in their previous game on Sunday.
In the seven games with Dosunmu starting, the Timberwolves' bench production hasn’t dipped much. They've averaged 34.9 points per game over that time.
Trey Lyles has been a pleasant surprise after a one-year NBA hiatus. Turning 20 yesterday (November 11), Joan Beringer has had his share of inconsistency, but he's also posted two 12-point outings. After a slow start, Bones Hyland has reached double-digit point totals in five of the last seven games.
The Timberwolves' bench stands to improve
Edwards’ return is TBD, but once he does, Dosunmu will return to the bench (as long as the regular starters are all available). Also, there is a lot of optimism that Donte DiVincenzo will return at some point this season from the torn Achilles he suffered in last season’s playoffs. He likely won’t return to being a starter, but he’ll give the bench a high-volume 3-point shooter.
Even with those two out, Chris Finch has been going with a 10-man rotation. That’s something he didn’t often do over the past couple of years, even when the team was at full strength.
That leaves questions for a later date about who may be pushed out of the rotation after Edwards (and perhaps DiVincenzo) returns. For now, it’s great to know the bench concerns from before the season haven’t shown up, and Minnesota’s depth can help them keep winning without Ant-Man.
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